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LIBRARY
JOURNAL |
ONTARIO
OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL
RESEARCH.
VOLUME VII.
1895-96.
FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION AMONG MEMBERS AND
ASSOCIATES ONLY.
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JOURNAL OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
INDEX TO VOLUME VII.
1895-96.
A.
AKSAKOFF, Alex., Case contributed by 121
Alexander, Prof., Cases contributed by 188,238
,, ,, On Supernormal Acquisition of Knowledge ... 319-322
American Branch of the Society for Psychical Research — Members (List of)
1, 18, 33, 81, 97, 113, 129, 145, 181,
213, 229, 245, 261, 277, 293, 309
Annual Business Meeting 18
Augear, W. R., Case contributed by 274
Automatism, Cases of 248-249,274
,, F. W. H. Myers, on Need for Experiments in 30
B.
B. R. T., Case contributed by 124
Bagot, Mrs., Case contributed by 243
Baker, Mrs., Case contributed by 285
Barkworth, T., Cases contributed by 175, 329
Baron, Mr. Le, A Case of Psychic Automatism 248
Barrett, Prof., Divining Rod Experiments 310
,, „ Personality in Relation to Psychical Research 115
,, ,, Reichenbach Phenomena 23-25
,, ,, " Spirit Photography "—A supposed Case of 165
ii Index to Volume VII.
Barrows, C. M., Suggestion without Hypnotism 215
Bates, Miss E. K., Case contributed by 282
Beauclerk, Fr. (S. J.), On the "Holy well Cures" 86
Bennett, E. T., On Dipsomania and Hypnotism 96
Bidder, G. P., Q.C., Obituary Notice of 218
Boirac, Prof., On "L'Hypothese du Magnetisme Animal" 221
Bourget, M. Paul, Experiences with Mrs. Piper 28
B ram well, Dr. Milne, Case contributed by 243
„ „ Hypnotic Experiments of 83,215,262,278
Broussiloff, Mrs. , Case contributed by 121
Browne, Mrs., Case contributed by 173
Bruce, Miss C. M., Case contributed by 270
Bute, The Marquis of, Donation for the Enquiry into Evidence for
Second-Sight 3, 130, 183
0.
CAMPBELL, C. E., Case contributed by 191
Campbell, Miss C. M., Experiments in Thought-Transference 234
Clarkson, Mrs., Case contributed by 125
Clements, Mrs. , Case contributed by 272
Committees, Elections of (1895) 20
(1896) 147
Congress, Third International -of Psychology 159, 208, 260, 295
Corbet, Miss S., A supposed Case of " Spirit Photography " 165
Correspondence 16, 93, 96, 111, 126, 142, 144, 163, 164, 178, 210, 221, 224,
274, 291, 292, 306, 319, 322, 323
Council, Elections on 19, 33, 146, 182
„ Meetings of 2, 19, 33, 81, 97, 114, 130, 146, 181, 214, 230, 246,
261, 277, 294, 309
D.
DAUNTESEY, Mrs., Case contributed by 329
Delbceuf, Prof., Obituary Notice 294
Despard, Miss, Experiments in Thought-Transference 234
Dewar, Rev. P., Enquiry into Evidence for Second-Sight 3
Dipsomania and Hypnotism, E. T. Bennett on 96
Divining Rod, Experiments with 310
Dixon, E., On the Experiments with Eusapia Paladino 93
Dobbie, A. W., An Operation performed under Hypnotism 187
Dorobetz, Nicholas, "Faith-Healing "Case 172,207
Dove, J., Case contributed by 7
Dreams, Experimental 218
,, Green, Dr. C. T,, on the Phenomena of 291
Index to Volume VII. iii
Duality of Consciousness, Apparent, Under Anaesthetics 16
Duke, Dr. T., Cases contributed by 255,299,311
E.
E., MRS., Case contributed by 251
Elliott, Rev. E. K., Case contributed by 175
Erny, M. A. , Case contributed by 108
Eusapia Paladino, Cambridge Sittings with 131, 148, 163, 164, 210, 230, 291
F.
" FAITH-HEALING," Evidence for _ ...85,172,207
Foy, Miss, Cases contributed by 10-15
Fryer, Rev. A. T., On the "Holy well Cures" 85
G.
GLARDON, Rev. A., Thought-Transference Experiments 325
Gleason, Dr. Adele A., Case contributed by 104
Goater, Mrs., Case contributed by 195
Green, Dr. C. T., On Dreams 291
,, ,, ,, Hypnotic Phenomena ... ... ... 126
Greene, B. W. B., Case contributed by 257
Gregory, Dr., Case recorded by 117
Griffing, Mrs., Case contributed by 176
Grignon, Rev. W. S., Cases contributed by 9,190
„ „ On Resolute Credulity 142
H.
HALL, Miss A. , Case contributed by 173
Hodgson, Dr. R., On the Evidence for Phenomena observed with Eusapia
Paladino 36, 132, 151-156
Replies to 55,64,67,75,93,111
,, ,, Trance Experiments with Mrs. Piper 135-138,233
Holbrook, Dr. M. L., Cases contributed by 99,104
Holy well Cures, Alleged — Rev. A. T. Fryer on 85
Hopps, Rev. Page, On Experiments with Eusapia Paladino 163
iv Index to Volume VII.
Hypnotism (Miscellaneous) 83, 126, 144, 215-217, 262-266, 278-282, 296-298
as an Anaesthetic 187
Curative effects of 187,215,263
Dipsomania and ... ... ... ... •• ... ... 96
Moral Aspects of 216,263-265,279-281
Report of Committee on ... ... ... ... 260
Suggestion without 215-217
Time, Appreciation of, under 262-265,297
Thought-Transference and 201-206,260
Hyslop, J. H., On Experiments with Eusapia Paladino 210
I.
INCORPORATION of the Society for Psychical Research 19, 114, 130, 145, 148
J.
JAMES, Prof. W., On a Case of Psychic Automatism 248
Jamieson, Mrs. , Case contributed by ... ... ... ... ... ... 271
Johnson, Miss A., On Experiments with Eusapia Paladino... ... ... 156
,, ,, ,, Supernormal Acquisition of Knowledge ... ... 322
Joslyn, J. R., Case contributed by 105
K.
KEARNE, Percy, Case contributed by ... 25
Key, Miss, Case contributed by 162
Kingston, Dr. H. D. R., On Hypnotic Experiments 264
Krekel, Mrs., Case contributed by 106
Kozhevnikoff, Prof., On a Case of "Faith-Healing" 172
L.
LANG, Andrew, Cases contributed by 101,124
,, ,, Queen Mary's Diamonds 116
Leaf, Walter, On Prof. Boirac's " L'Hypothese du Magnetisme Animal " 224
Lee, Mrs., Case contributed by 193
Leighton, Lord, Obituary Notice 208
Library, " Edmund Gurney Memorial" 31,128,275,339
Index to Volume Vll. V
Literary Committee, Evidence collected by,
,, „ Catalogue of Unprinted Cases 79,96
"G" Cases 9,173,175,188,329,335
"L" Cases... 7, 8, 10-15, 25, 99, 100, 101, 104, 106,
108, 120, 121, 125, 162, 176, 193, 195,
238, 240, 242, 243, 250, 255, 257, 258,
266, 270, 271, 282, 285
"M" Cases 190, 191
"MCI" Cases 103,124
"P" Cases 122,138,272
Lodge, Prof. 0., On Experiments with Eusapia Paladino ... 55, 64, 134, 291
M.
M., MRS., Experiments in Thought-Transference 325
MacDonald, Rev. J. A., Case contributed by 8
Manning, Mrs. , Case contributed by 100
Martratt, C. E., Case contributed by - 258
Mason, Miss, Case contributed by 271
McNeill, Miss, Case contributed by 162
Meetings of the Society, Annual Business ... ... ... 18
General 2, 21, 34, 82, 98, 115, 131, 145, 182, 215,
231, 246, 262, 278, 310
Members, Associates and Hon. Members— List of 1, 17, 18, 33, 81, 97, 113,
129, 145, 181, 213, 229,
245, 261, 277, 293, 309
„ „ American Branch 1, 18, 33, 81, 97, 113, 129, 145, 181,
213, 229, 245, 261, 277, 293, 309
Michell, Mrs., Case contributed by 8
Mourty-Vold, Dr. J., On Experimental Dreams 219
Munich, International Congress of Psychology .., ... 159, 208, 260, 295
Myers, F. W. H., Experiments with Eusapia Paladino 55, 133, 151, 158, 164
,, ,, Experimental Dreams ... ... 218
,, ,, Need of Fresh Experiments in Automatism 30
,, ,, On Premonitions ... ... ... 82
,, ,, Progression from Subliminal Phenomena to Alleged
Phenomena of Spirit Control 21
N.
NASCIMENTO, Senhor, Case contributed by 238
Nery, Donna, Case contributed by 188
Newbold, Dr. W. Romaine, On Sub-conscious Reasoning 231
Nichols, Mrs., Case contributed by 195
vi Index to Volume
O.
OBITUARY Notice, Bidder, G. P., Q.C. 218
„ „ Delbceuf, Prof 294
,, ,, Leighton, Lord 208
,, ,, Stevenson, R. L ... 6
Ochorowicz, Dr. J., Experiments with Eusapia Paladino 75
P.
PEEBLES, S., Case contributed by 176
Personality in the Light of Psychical Research, Prof. Barrett on 115
Piper, Mrs., Trance Phenomena of ... 28, 63, 135-138, 211, 212, 233, 249
Podmore, Frank, On Poltergeists 246,306,323
Powles, Lewis C., Case contributed by 251
Psychology, Third International Congress of 159, 208, 260, 295
QUEEN MARY'S Diamonds, Andrew Lang on 116
Quintard, Dr., Case recorded by 29
R.
R., MR., Case contributed by 191
R., The Misses, Case contributed by 335
Raper, R. W. , Case contributed by 7
Reichenbach Phenomena, Experiments in 24-25
Richet, Prof., Experiments with Eusapia Paladino 38-58, 64-75, 148, 149, 178
Roeder, Rev. Adolph, On "Writing Mania" and Psychical Research ... 292
Rogers, Dr. R. S., A Case of Operation performed under Hypnotism ... 187
Rose, F. W., Case contributed by 253
S.
S., MRS., Case contributed by 257
,, A Diary of Telepathic Impressions ... 299,311
Scott, S. C., Incorporation of S.P.R 19, 115, 130, 145, 148
Second-Sight, Provisional Enquiry into 2,182
Index to Volume VII. vii
Shrubsole, W. H., F.G.S., Case contributed by 108
Sinclair, B. F. , Case contributed by 99
Sidgwick, Prof., Cambridge Experiments with Eusapia Paladino 131, 148, 230
,, ,, Report of International Congress of Psychology 295
Smith, Martyn, Case contributed by 122
Smith, H. A., Incorporation of S.P.R 19, 115, 145, 148
Society for Psychical Research, Incorporation of ... 19, 114, 130, 145, 148
Solla, Isidore de, Case contributed by 243
Solovovo, M. P., On Experiments with Eusapia Paladino Ill
„ „ On a Case of " Faith Healing " 207
" Spirit Photography," A supposed Case of 165
St. George, Mrs., Case contributed by 335
Staines, F. J. , Case contributed by ... .„ 255
Stanley, Mrs. H. M., Experiments with Eusapia Paladino 150
Stevenson, Robert Louis, Obituary Notice of 6
Subliminal Appreciation of Time 262-265,297
Supernormal Acquisition of Knowledge, Facts pointing to 34, 319, 322
Sutphin, Dr. P. C., Case contributed by ... 266
T.
TAYLOR, G. Le M., On Mr. Podmore's Poltergeists 306,323
Telepathic Impressions, A Diary of 299,311
Thought-Transference, Experiments in 5, 29, 34, 35, 36, 180, 197-201, 234, 325
„ ,, ,, at a Distance 234-237,325-329
„ ,, Hypnotic 201-206, 260
,, „ ,, Scenes and Mental Pictures 197-201,
235-237, 325
,, ,, ,, ,, Diagrams of Impressions 328-329
,, ,, Spontaneous ... ... ... 29
Thurstan, F. W., Experiments in Psychical Research 180
U.
1 UNKNOWN Tongues," Case of Supposed Speaking with 248-249
V.
V., M. DE G., Case contributed by 16
Venn, Mrs., Case contributed by 103
Verrall, Mrs., Experiments in Supernormal Acquisition of Knowledge ... 34
viii Index to Volume VII.
W.
W. J. T., Case contributed by 120
W. , Mr. , Case contributed by 9
Wack, H. W., Case contributed by 138
Williams, C., Alleged Mediumship of 142
Wiltse, Dr., Experiments in Thought-Transference 197, 240-242
Wy Id, Dr. G., On Hypnotism 144
X.
X., Miss, Case contributed by « 232
,, Provisional Enquiry into Second-Sight 2-4,182
Z.
ZDANOVITCH, Ivan, Discussion of the Case of 319,322
No. CXVL— VOL. VII. JANUARY, 1895.
JOURNAL
OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGK
New Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Meeting of the Council 2
General Meeting .. .. 2
Obituary (Robert Louis Stevenson) 6
Cases received by the Literary Committee 7
Donation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Correspondence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
NEW ASSOCIATES.
BAIN, JAMES L., M.A., Birnam, St. John's, Sevenoaks, Kent.
Bois, HENRY GORDON, c/o J. M. Robertson and Co., Colombo, Ceylon.
CARTER, MRS. L. BRUDENELL, Ridgeway, Langley-avenue, Surbiton.
COTTERELL, JAMES, 140, Earlsfield-road, Wandsworth Common, S.W.
GARRARD, MRS., 8, Kensington-court, London, W.
GRIFFITHS, JOSEPH, M.D., F.R.C.S., 4, Kings'-parade, Cambridge.
JAMES, ERNEST C. F., Wellington Club, Grosvenor-place, London, S.W.
JOHNSON, Miss ALICE, Llandaff House, Cambridge.
JONES, CAPTAIN HENRY MICHAEL, V.C., H.B.M. Legation, Lima, Peru.
LEE, REV. W. T., 4, Edith-terrace, Mount Gold-road, Plymouth.
MARTIN, Miss FLORENCE R., 65, Cornwall-gardens, London, S.W.
MAXWELL, JOSEPH, 36, Rue Petiniaud Beaupeyrat, Limoges, France.
NORTHCOTE, HON. HUGH OLIVER, The Hyde, Luton.
STEVENSON, ANDREW, M.A., 16, Warrender Park Crescent, Edinburgh.
VANDELEUR, MAJOR GENERAL J. O., C.B., 26, Coventry-st., London, W.
WILSON, CHARLES M., Edinburgh Hotel, St. Leonard's-on-Sea.
WOODD, MRS. BASIL, Leckby, Hollington Park, St. Leonard's-on-Sea.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
ASSOCIATES.
AMES, PROFESSOR DANIEL T., 202, Broadway, New York, N.Y.
AYER, Miss LOUISE R., 25, Chestnut-street, Boston, Mass.
BREWSTER, MRS. WILLIAM, c/o Brewster and Co., Broadway and
47-street, New York, N.Y.
BROWN, EDMOND C., 15, Wall-street, New York, N.Y.
COCKERILL, MRS. R. D., Weir City Zinc Co., Weir City, Kansas.
HIGBEE, COL. GEORGE H., Burlington, Iowa.
OLCOTT, Miss EDITH, 4, East 53rd-street, New York, N.Y.
ORRICK, N. C., Canton, Missouri.
POTTER, MRS. 0. W., 130, Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, 111.
Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1895.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A Meeting of the Council was held at the Society's Rooms on
Friday, December 7th. Mr. R. Pearsall Smith was voted to the
chair. There were also present : Col. Hartley, Dr. A. W. Barrett,
Dr. W. Leaf, and Messrs. F. W. H. Myers, F. Podmore, S. C. Scott,
and H. A. Smith.
The Minutes of the previous Meeting were read and signed as
correct. Seventeen new Associates were elected. The election of
nine new Associates of the American Branch was recorded. Names
and addresses are given above.
It was agreed that at the end of the year the name of the
Rev. C. A. Goodhart should, at his request, be transferred from the
list of Members to that of Associates. The resignation of twelve
Associates, who from various causes desired to terminate their
connection with the Society at the end of the year, was accepted.
It was agreed to strike off the list the names of two Members
and twelve Associates, who had either removed and been lost sight of,
or who had become only nominal Members.
A present to the Library was acknowledged with thanks.
Dr. A. W. Barrett gave a report of the work in which the
Hypnotic Committee had been engaged during the past few months,
and which they hoped to continue.
Arrangements were made for the Annual Meeting of Members to
be held on Friday, January 25th, 1895, at 3 p.m. The names of
the retiring Members of Council were read over, and the Assistant
Secretary was directed to send out all necessary notices.
It was agreed that General Meetings should be held on January
25th, at 4 p.m. ; on March 1st, at 8.30 p.m. ; on April 5th, at 4 p.m. ;
and on May 17th, at 8.30 p.m.
The next Meeting of the Council was fixed to take place at
the close of the Annual Business Meeting, on January 25th.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 69th General Meeting of the Society was held at the West-
minster Town Hall, on Friday, December 7th, 1894, at 8.30 p.m.,
Mr. W. Leaf in the chair.
MissX. read " A Provisional Account of an Enquiry into Second-
Sight in the Highlands," of which the following is an abstract. She
began by insisting upon the point that any report must be, at the
present stage, provisional only. Direct evidence of any kind was
JAN., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 3
difficult to obtain, though mere superficial and second-hand traditions
were plentiful enough. Not only on account of their native reticence,
"but because among the seers themselves the faculty of Second Sight is
regarded with secret reverence and awe, first-hand testimony can be
obtained only by living among the people and cultivating personal
relations with them. This Miss X., accompanied by a friend, tried to
do during some weeks of the past autumn, both among the islands of
the Hebrides and in some of the more retired glens of the mainland.
The liberality of the Marquis of Bute has enabled the Society for
Psychical Research to institute some formal enquiries in Scotland upon
the subject of Second Sight, extending over a period of some eighteen
months preceding Miss X.'s visit, and which have served at least to
indicate the difficulty of the enquiry, and the reluctance of the High-
landers to commit themselves upon the question.
The Rev. Peter Dewar, of Rothesay, kindly undertook the office of
hon. secretary, and sent out nearly 2,000 schedules to representatives
of all classes in the Gaelic-speaking districts of the Highlands. Sixty
only were returned duly filled up ; and but half of these answered in
the affirmative the question :
" Is Second Sight believed in by the people in your neighbour-
hood ? "
At the end of six months, Lord Bute issued a further circular in
his own name, with somewhat better results, 210 forms being filled up,
of which sixty-four answers were more or less affirmative.
Miss X. observed that her experience tended to show that in a great
number of instances the circulars had been neglected, not from
indifference or lack of attention, but because many recipients felt that
a subject, which if not a motive force in their own lives, was at least a
tradition reverently received from their ancestors, was one too great
for their powers of handling, too sacred for discussion with strangers.
Miss X. believes that she has received at first hand something less
than 100 cases, and this, in spite of the kindest assistance from Mr.
Dewar, Mr. Crump, of Fort Augustus, many parish doctors, and the
•clergy, including the Roman and Anglican, in almost every parish to
which her enquiries extended.
This, she feels, is very insufficient material upon which to base any
sort of conclusion ; she can at present merely indicate the direction in
which the enquiry, which she hopes to carry further, seems likely to
point.
(1) The evidence of the Seers themselves seems to point to the
theory that " Second Sight " is, in many cases, a sort of extension or
•exaltation of the normal faculties, the " prophecies " being in many
4 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1895.
instances closely analogous to the cases of crystal vision, automatic
writing, and other forms of externalising an idea, which may be due to
memory or the unconscious observation of such signs as might
easily escape the notice of the more occupied ordinary consciousness.
(2) Though such a faculty is quite unrecognised by the Seers
themselves, there seems little doubt that Thought Transference plays
an important part in the experiences they relate.
(3) Careful enquiry into their habits of thought showed the
Highland Seers, whom Miss X. had an opportunity of questioning
(some twenty, at least), to be strong visualisers ; this, in relation not
only to their visions, but to their ordinary mental habits.
(4) In many stories, the same feature recurred — namely, the
vision of a bright light (usually in connection with some incident in
the story) followed by unconscious deportation of the Seer — suggesting
a conceivable clue in the possibility of self-hypnotisation and change of
place while unconscious of surroundings.
(5) Miss X. failed to find any indication of belief that the visions
are due to the agency of the Departed ; and the suggestion of Spirit
Return was invariably rejected with strong expressions of dislike.
The very few whose experiences suggested active external agency
attributed such agency to " the Devil."
(6) Miss X. found traces of certain methods of divination, or
automatism, mixed with possible remains of forms of evocation, such
as gazing into liquids carefully compounded, "getting news" from
the sea at certain stages of the moon, and the like. She also received
certain formulse for the acquisition of Second Sight ; but in no case
did the people themselves seem to attach much importance to methods,
of any kind.
(7) On the contrary, they reject experiment, and believe that the
gift is hereditary and spontaneous in its exercise, as indeed, among
them appears to be the case.
Miss X. concluded by pointing out that the main interest in such*
indications lay in the fact that they were gathered among people of
the very simplest and most unconventional kind, who, nevertheless,
even in the wildest spots, had attained a degree of culture and of
actual book learning far surpassing that of the corresponding, even of
many higher classes, in England. She found them in every instance
capable of discussing the phenomena with the utmost intelligence,
handling the subject with faith rather than with superstition, anxious
for enlightenment as to its mysteries, for the most part free from
dogmatism, and universally courteous, logical and reverent.
DR. WALLACE said that he had received some closely analogous-
JAN., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 5
evidence through a Scotch seeress, which he hoped in due time to be
able to lay before the Society.
A paper by Miss N. ROBERTSON on " Experiments in Apparent
Clairvoyance" was then read by Mr. F. W. H. Myers. The writer had
tried over 15,000 experiments in guessing playing cards drawn from a
pack at hazard and not looked at by anyone, and the number of
successes she obtained was more than double what chance might have
been expected to produce. Her impressions as to what the card was
came to her sometimes in the form of visual illusions or hallucinations ;
sometimes it appeared to her as if an internal voice — the voice of her
own thoughts — told her the name of the card. Her first plan was to
draw a card out of a pack, keeping it face downwards on the table
under the. palm of her hand, and she always recorded her guess before
looking at the card. About half the guesses were made in this way.
In other experiments, a pack of cards was placed on the table, and
Miss Robertson noted in a book that she would guess (say) the 13th
card from the top of the pack ; then, after recording her guess, she
counted down the pack to the 13th card and recorded it. Some of
the series of experiments were failures,— the number of successes not
being more than might have been produced by chance, or even falling
below this. Thus, some experiments in which each card was wrapped
in tinfoil inside two envelopes failed ; also some in which the cards
were enclosed in locked boxes, and some in which Miss Robertson
attempted to guess in the presence of other persons.
Finally, however, she had some success with the cards in locked
boxes ; and also when a friend of hers, Miss M., kept the pack and
drew cards from it, without looking at them. The most successful
series of all was one in which Miss M. sat in another room and
drew cards from the pack there.
Miss Robertson also described some experiments in thought-
transference, which she had carried on with Miss M. as agent, and
referred to some successful experiments in clairvoyance of the same
kind as her own made by another friend of hers.
MR. F. W. H. MYERS said that another member of the Society had
had similar success in divining cards ; and he hoped that a record of
these experiments also might soon be presented to the Society. A case
of similar powers was described by Mr. W. H. Hudson, in his
interesting book, Idle Days in Patagonia. The possessor of this gift,
a Patagonian innkeeper, regarded it in a practical rather than a
scientific light. By exercising it on what he deemed suitable
occasions, he was able to dispense with other efforts to secure a
maintenance.
6 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1895.
MR. LEAF, in returning thanks to the authors of the papers which
had been read, spoke of the difficulties which he anticipated in raising
the evidence for second sight to such a level as was required by the
Society. Not the least of these difficulties, in his opinion, would be
the entire neglect of dates, which he expected would be found so
soon as the endeavour was made to get accurate details. In enquiries
which had been made in Brittany, a well-known home of " second
sight," this difficulty had proved insuperable.
OBITUARY.
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON.
The sudden death of Mr. Robert Louis Stevenson, on December 3rd,
at his Samoan home, has deprived the muster-roll of our society, as it
has deprived the civilised world itself, of one of its most brilliant names.
We cannot here survey the whole field of Mr. Stevenson's achieve-
ments. We must speak only of the actual link which interested him
in our studies, and made his own literary history of such special value
to the psychologist. He offered one of the most striking examples on
record of the habitual uprush and incursion into ordinary consciousness
of ideas or pictures conceived and matured in some subconscious region,
without sense of effort or choice or will. His essay on Dreams (in the
volume entitled Across the Plains), which recounts the assistance
rendered to him by those subterranean workers whose story-telling
inventiveness never failed him at need, is surely a psychological
document worthy to set beside Coleridge's account of the dream-origin
of Kubla Khan. Jekyll and Hyde was itself a dream-inspiration ;
although here, as always, the self above the threshold co-operated
skilfully and conscientiously with the self below ; and he had still
proposed to himself, if leisure came, to remodel some points in that
appalling romance into closer accordance with observed psychological
fact.
To those who believe that the subliminal uprush is of the very
essence of " genius," and that the further evolution of man must con-
sist largely in his gaining a completer control over innate but latent
faculty, the account of Mr. Stevenson's readily evocable and unfail-
ingly helpful dreams comes at once as a scientific corroboration and
as a stimulating hope. Here once more the spectrum of consciousness
has been extended, the barrier between phases of personality over-
stept ; and this new form of inspiration reveals the Subliminal Self as
willing to help the greatest story-teller of our day, with the same
JAN., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 7
obedience with which it has helped in other days the greatest of
mathematicians, or of poets, or of saints.
Homo est ; humani nihil alienum a se putat.
As it were from the stars beneath our feet and from the soul
beyond our knowledge, the exiled, the unique voice came. It was well
done of that simple people to clear a pathway through the untravelled
forest, and bear his body upwards to where "lightnings are loosened"
on Pala's crown. We may conceive him gazing thence as the Genius
of the Southern Hemisphere ; which over all the immensity of its isle-
starred deep has never felt the moving presence of any spirit like his
own. F. W. H. M.
CASES RECEIVED BY THE LITERARY COMMITTEE.
L. 979. Ad Pn Apparition.,
In this case, the triple form of the apparition is a curious feature,
and one which it would be difficult to explain by a mistake of identity.
Mr. R. W. Raper, through whom the case reached us, writes to Mr.
Myers : —
Trinity College, Oxford, May 6th, 1892.
The enclosed narrative was written down at my request. I heard it from
the lips of the narrator, very soon after the event occurred last Christmas
vacation. He has put the tale on paper for me, almost exactly as he told it
me first. I know him well, and can guarantee his perfect good faith.
The account enclosed was as follows : —
New College, Oxford.
Just before last Christmas I went over to Liverpool with one of my brothers
and my sister. It was a very fine, clear day, and there was a great crowd of
people shopping in the streets. We were walking down Lord-street, one of
the principal streets, when, passing me, I saw an old uncle of mine whom I knew
very little, and had not seen for a very long time, although he lived near me.
I saw three distinct shapes hobbling past (he was lame) one after the other
in a line. It didn't seem to strike me at the moment as being in the least
curious, not even there being three shapes in a line. I said to my sister,
" I have just seen Uncle E., and I am sure he is dead." I said this as it
were mechanically, and not feeling at all impressed. Of course my brother
and sister laughed. We thought nothing more about it while in Liverpool.
The fir&t thing my mother said to us on getting home was, "I have some
news'' ; then she told us that this uncle had died very early that morning.
I don't know the particular hour. I saw the three shapes at about 12 in the
morning. I felt perfectly fit and well, and was not thinking of my uncle in
the least, nor did I know he was ill. Both my brother and my sister heard
me say that I had seen him, and believed he was dead, and they were equally
astonished at hearing of his death on our return home. My uncle and I
8 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1895.
knew each other very little. In fact, he hardly knew me by sight, although
he knew me well when I was a small child.
J. DOVE.
In reply to our request for corroborative evidence, Mr. Dove
writes : —
May 2Qth [1892].
I enclose letters from my mother and my sister. Apparently my uncle
had died in his sleep in the early morning, as he was found dead in the
morning. I believe he was not ill before. I am afraid I can't remember
the date of our excursion to Liverpool, but believe it to have been about
two or three days before Christmas.
The following are the letters enclosed : —
(1) From Mrs. Dove.
21, Devonshire Place, Claughton, Birkenhead, May 15th, 1892.
I am sorry I have not been able to find out any particulars about Uncle
Edwards' death. I sent the letter you enclosed with yours for Granny to
read, so that she might be able to give me particulars ; but she says no one
knows the hour of his death, for he was found dead in bed and had died in
his sleep. . . .
A. G. DOVE.
(2) From Miss Dove. May 17M, [1892].
Mother said you wanted me to write to you about the Uncle Edwards
episode. I do remember distinctly your saying to me in Liverpool, "three
men have passed me exactly like Uncle E. : he must be dead ! " and then
we heard afterwards that he had died that day, but I do not remember the
date.
L. 980. Ad Pn Apparition.
The following case of an apparition seen shortly after death by a
child of five years old was sent to us by the Rev. J. A. Macdonald,
who writes in sending it : —
2, Quarry Bank, Heswall, Cheshire, May llth, 1894.
The accompanying case has the merit of recent occurrence. "Little
Jack " died from convulsions with teething. The Michells are proprietors
of lead works at St. Helens, Lancashire.
J. A. MACDONALD.
The account is given by the child's mother. She writes : —
The Hollies, St. Helens, Lancaster, May 8th, 1894.
On the 25th of last month I was sitting in the nursery, and my little
daughter Gwendoline was playing with her dolls, and she suddenly laughed
so as to attract my attention, and I asked her what she was laughing at.
She said, " O mother, I thought I -saw little Jack in that chair " — a vacant
chair in the room — and indicating her little cousin. About five minutes
after this the clerk telephoned from the office saying he had just received a
telegram from Penzance announcing the death of little Jack. It was about
half-past nine in the morning when the incident occurred in the nursery at
JAN., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 9
St. Helens. The death in Penzance took place at about half -past seven on
the same morning.
E. MlCHELL.
In reply to our further inquiries, Mr. Michell wrote : —
May 28th, 1894.
Gwendoline is five years and four months old.
I am not aware that she has had any previous experience of the kind
related to Mr. Macdonald, but that the one in question is a fact I have not
the slightest doubt.
She knows the clerk at our office, and he has often cDnversed with her,
and occasionally played with her in an ordinary way.
The impression she had was just prior to the clerk's telephoning my wife,
and although the clerk did not think about my daughter missing Jack at all,
yet Mrs. Michell herself was anxiously wondering what the news respecting
Jack would be.
There was no one else in the nursery besides my wife and daughter, but
Mrs. Michell was very deeply impressed with the matter, and then to receive
the message very shortly after forced the matter upon her mind still deeper,
and she told me immediately I arrived home.
JAS. J. MICHELL.
G. 247. Collective Unrecognised Auditory.
The following case of a collective auditory hallucination was
received through the Rev. W. S. Grignon. We are not permitted to
print the names of the percipients.
One of them, Mr. W., writes : —
August 6th, 1893.
On the 1st November, 1892, soon after 11 a.m., while seated with Mr.
S , in the office room of his house at , Poona, 1 distinctly heard a
voice with which I was quite unacquainted call out in sharp clear tones,
"Mrs. H ! Mrs. H !" (my sister-in-law, who was lost in the
"Roumania" a few days previously). The voice seemed to be that of
someone calling from above to my sister-in-law down stairs.
My age was 36, and at the time I was in good health, though in grief
and anxiety about the loss of my sister-in-law ; [I] was discussing an official
report of mine, which Mr. S , who is the head of my Department,
was reading out.
Mr. S distinctly heard the same voice, and we both started up and
went outside into the verandah and all over the house, but there was no
one about except the peons, who declared no one had called out. The ladies
of the house were in one of the back bedrooms, but they had neither heard
the voice, nor had they been calling out.
I have never had an experience of this kind before.
Mr. S. writes : —
Poona, August 6th, 1893.
Mr. W 's statement is absolutely true. I heard the voice, clear and
distinct, call out, "Mrs. H /'twice. It was a voice not belonging to
10 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1895.
my household, and a strange voice, — the voice of a woman alarmed ; and it
sounded as if on board ship calling down a skylight. I say this in perfect
faith, as I began life as a sailor, and served seven years in the Indian Navy,
and have had personal experience of the peculiar sound of voices calling
down hatchways and skylights on board ship at sea. The voice was so real,
and the name so distinctly uttered, that Mr. W and 1 left the table at
which we were seated and ran outside into the verandah of the bungalow in
the endeavour, on the spur of the moment, and on natural impulse, to dis-
cover the owner of the voice ; but there was no one at all near, within
speaking or calling distance. Two peons, or native messengers, who were
in the verandah, informed us that no European had been near, and these
peons knew no English.
L. 981. Thought-transference.
The following cases are given by Miss Einina Foy, of 42,
Carlton Road, Manor Park, Essex, who has had a large number of
experiences of an apparently telepathic —or in some instances, as she
believes, premonitory — kind. The first case, which reached us through
Mr. C. J. Prest, of 149, Norwood Road, Herne Hill, is an interesting
instance of an obviously subjective hallucination being transferred to
other percipients.
Miss Foy writes : —
March 16th, 1892.
Towards the end of year 1872, saw tall human skeleton enter bedroom,
dragging a coffin which it brought close to me. Over its right arm was a pall.
Then pointing to the coffin, it threw the pall over me, causing a feeling of
suffocation which left me very weak. Continued its visits almost every night
about 10.30, for the space of about two years, then gradually disappeared.
Tried in many ways to dispel the illusion ; did not believe in supernatural
occurrences ; have always been of lively disposition ; excellent spirits which
nothing seemed to affect ; never saw a real skeleton ; nor up to that time
any representation of one ; nor had any dread of death.
[When I saw it, I was] preparing to go to bed. As far as I was able to
judge, was not out of health at the commencement of the visitations, nor
in grief or anxiety. Aged 20.
I have wondered since whether I should have seen anyone had I
looked in the coffin when the apparition pointed to it, the coffin giving me
the impression that it was not a new one, nor the rope attached to it ; but I
had not the courage to look in. The room was lighted on every occasion ;
[I] never saw it in the dark.
The phantom appeared again suddenly in August 1879, either the last
week in August or first in September. This time there were eight persons
present. Two persons saw the vision besides myself — a poor woman and an
educated gentleman, the gentleman being thrown into a very nervous state
for some time after and experiencing similar sensations to myself. Was out
of health this time. Time 9.30 p.m.
EMMA FOY.
JAN., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 11
It has unfortunately been impossible to obtain corroborative
evidence of this incident, which occurred in a hospital, — the other per-
cipients being one of the patients, who could not now be traced, and a
medical man, to whom Miss Foy did not like to mention the subject.
The supposition of his having shared the hallucination, in fact, rests
merely on the terror he manifested at the time.
Mrs. Sidgwick called on Miss Foy and heard from her a full account
of this and other experiences. She gives the following account of her
interview : —
April llth, 1892.
I saw Miss Foy on Thursday, April 7th, and thought her one of the best
witnesses I have met — very sensible, quiet, and scientific in her attitude of
mind — taking pains apparently to make out what the other people concerned
saw or felt, without putting leading questions. But she did not make notes at
the time. She told me a number of experiences, — some six or eight cases of
what seemed to be thought-transference between her and different people,
chiefly children in her charge — she being always the agent,— also about the
same number of premonitory dreams and impressions.
As regards the skeleton, the last time she saw it she was in a hospital,
and it appeared at the window of the nurses' dressing-room, opposite her bed.
She did not this time see the coffin. She turned and talked to the woman in
the next bed — a Mrs. C. — and presently she (Mrs. C.) looked towards the
window and exclaimed. Miss Foy pretended she saw nothing, and asked
what Mrs. C. saw. She said, ''That thing all bones." Miss Foy got up
and went to the window to prove to Mrs. C. that there was nothing there,
and the latter said the thing seemed to go further away as Miss Foy ap-
proached it. This was her own impression, too. Dr. came up soon
afterwards, and presently, following the direction of the two women's eyes,
was started and agitated, and soon left the ward. About an hour later the
nurse came in laughing about Dr. being so nervous ; he wanted her to
go with him into the dissecting-room, where was lying dead. He said
he had been so nervous ever since he was in the ward an hour before. This
is all that is known about his experience, as he was never spoken to about
it. Miss Foy believes he has gone to India.
On the skeleton's previous visits, the throwing over her of the pall seemed
to bring on a kind of unconsciousness, and when she awoke from this, all was
gone, and she got into bed. I understood that apart from this sort of fit,
or whatever it was, she was during this time quite well.
Lately her sister has seen a skull more than once, and believed the
hallucination to be due to Miss Foy having a return of her skeleton. It
does appear to have coincided with Miss Foy's mind dwelling on a skull
d propos to the ancient Egyptian mode of embalming.
In July, 1892, Miss Foy sent Mrs. Sidgwick a narrative of her
experiences, some extracts from which are printed below. The
incidents, as will be seen, are mostly trivial, and from the circum-
stances are such as it would be difficult to obtain confirmation of, but
12 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1895.
the accumulation of coincidences seems to us beyond what could
reasonably be attributed to chance, and they appear to have been
carefully and candidly recorded.
The unprinted part of the narrative relates to dreams, which
seemed to Miss Foy to correspond in a remarkable manner with
events in her life taking place shortly afterwards, and these impressed
her much more than her telepathic experiences. Several of the dreams
occurred when she was looking out for new posts as a private
governess, and in each of them she saw unknown places and persons,
which afterwards seemed to her to resemble those that she made
acquaintance with in her next situation.
No. 1.
In January, 1883, [one of my pupils] a little girl, Mary W., was ill of
measles, but very slightly so. I was in an adjoining room reading the
Graphic. I turned to the advertisements, among which was a testimonial
by Erasmus Wilson to the efficacy of Pears' Soap. The little girl rang a
hand bell just as I had read the two last words of the advertisement, viz.:
Pears' Soap. I went to see what she wanted, and after looking at her for
a minute, she turned her eyes to the wall in front, and exclaimed suddenly,
"Oh! look there. There are letters coming out of the wall." I declared it was
all nonsense ; but as she persisted in her statement, I asked her to tell me
what letters she saw, when she spelt, "P-e-a-r-s S-o — ." Here she stopped.
I was startled, knowing that I had just looked at those two last words in the
advertisement. I ran back to see if it were really so, and I found that
it was so.
This advertisement was not one of those advertisements containing an
optical illusion, which are so frequently sent round by Messrs. Pears, but
an ordinary black letter advertisement, such as appears in any daily paper.
No. 2.
While living in [another] family, I was sitting quietly in an upstairs
room, thinking about a sermon I had heard the night before. A young girl,
between 10 and 11 years of age, was watching me unknown to myself. All
at once she said to me, "Miss Foy, I know what you are thinking about."
I asked her to tell me. She at once said, "About your church." I replied,
" Well, as you are so clever, perhaps you can tell me what the text was last
night." I only said this in fun, not thinking the child could, but to my
surprise she said almost the next instant, " God is love.'' This was
really the text, but I, thinking it might after all only be a guess on
her part, would not admit it directly, but told her to think of some other,
but she said it was the only one that kept coming into her thoughts.
She also added, " It must be right, for I can see it in front of your eyes,
between yours and mine."
As far as thislittJe girl was concerned, I frequently found her interpreting
my thoughts.
No. 3.
I was giving lessons on one occasion to three little children. One of
JAN., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 13
them, a little girl named Daisy, aged 7, was working a sum. It was the
custom in this family for each member of the household to repeat a text at
morning prayers. I intended saying the following morning this one, " Lord
help me," but forgetting where this text was, I was thinking very hard where
it could be, when I saw Daisy look at me, and the next instant she stopped
working the sum and I saw her writing something in the corner of her
slate. Shortly afterwards she gave me her slate to examine the sum, and
then I saw she had written the text as above on her slate. I asked the child
what made her do it, but she seemed unconscious that she had written it and
scarcely believed that she had really done so till I shewed her her own writ-
ing. I asked her if she had been thinking of the text at all, but she replied
that she did not know that there was such a text, and she could give me no
reason whatever for writing it.
No. 4.
I had another curious experience with regard to this same little girl some
time after. A friend lent me a book, The Life of Fletcher of Madely, a
clergyman of the Church of England. I took care to keep this book out of
the way of the children, because my friend prized it, but having on this occa-
sion read the closing scene of Mr. Fletcher's life just before going to bed, I
was surprised in the morning to hear the following statement from Daisy
She said to me, " Miss Foy, I have had a strange dream." I said laughingly,
" Have you 1 I suppose it was about an elephant, lion or tiger "(she was
fond of reading natural history). She said, " Don't laugh, because it was a
beautiful dream, and not laughable." She then said she dreamt about a
clergyman ; he wore a black gown ; that he came to the library and
looked at me (meaning myself) ; that he died ; that he had such a nice face.
The child added, " He went to Heaven, and I should like to have gone with
him, he looked so beautiful, but I woke up. "
I was thinking, as a matter of course, about this clergyman, seeing that I
had read the last scene of his life just before going to bed. In the book he
is described as having a beautiful face, and as far as I remember Mr. Fletcher
'was preaching when he was taken ill and was carried (I believe) from the
pulpit to his bed, from which he never rose. I did not talk about this book
to the child or anyone in the house, and, even if I had, should certainly not
have said anything about the death of the clergyman to such a little child,
besides, she was fast asleep when I was finishing the book. Mr. F. would
in all probability have worn a black gown. It is very doubtful if ever the
child saw any clergyman in his surplice, either black or white, as her parents
were Nonconformists. Then as to the library where the child said he came,
I may say that it was in the library that I was reading the book. Iain
quite certain the child never read any part of the book.
No. 5.
The father of this little girl one Sunday related what appeared to him a
curious incident which he could not account for. He told two aentlemenv who
were dining with us on that occasion, that after we had all gone to church he
seemed to hear someone saying to him : " (TO up to the nursery." He took
no notice, as he believed it to be only his imagination playing him a trick,
14 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1895.
but as he was repeatedly urged to go up to the nursery, and was unable to
continue reading his book through it, he at last went up, and saw at
once why he was told to go. Two out of three pet canaries had escaped
from their cages, and were standing on the frame of the window, both
sashes being pushed quite down, it being a very hot day. Mr. F. caught
them, but said to his friends that he was only just in time. He further said
it perplexed him to find a reason for his being told in what he considered a
peculiar way. What was it ? His friends could not explain, but I felt that
I could, but did not like. It seemed that 1 must have been the cause. It
was my duty to see that the doors of the cages were properly fastened after
the children cleaned and fed their pets. I was as a rule particular about
this, but on this occasion I forgot, and when half way on my road to church
wondered whether the doors were really fastened — was anxious about it —
but remembering Mr. F. was at home, as he had a bad headache, I hoped he
might go up, and he did as I have stated above. This gentleman would
not be likely to think about the birds. He had nothing to do with them,
and seldom noticed them ; but I was very fond of them, and frequently
thought about them. They were allowed to fly about the room for an hour
or two every day and would perch on my head and shoulder and go to
sleep.
No. 6.
It was the custom of this family to require (as I have before mentioned)
each member of the household to repeat a text at morning prayers, the
gentleman commencing. I frequently found, however, that he either chose
the same text as I had, or else one that referred to the same subject. It occurred
so often that it was rather annoying, as it made me somewhat confused,
and I could not always on the spur of the moment choose another. I thought
it quite possible that the gentleman influenced me, as he went to his text-book
in the library within a few minutes of my going into my room to choose mine.
I therefore tried the experiment of choosing my text as soon as I got up,
but found matters just the same. I then tried another way, and chose my
text a day beforehand, but it was of no use, things happened just the same. •
No. 7.
About the third week in March, 1892, I was on Sunday evening, between
6.30 and 6.45, singing some old hymns in the house where I am now living.
I thought of one in particular called "The Pilgrims of the Night," and
wished someone in the house would sing or play it that evening. At 8.30
Mrs. M. came in, and in a few minutes sat down at the piano and played the
above hymn. I had in the meantime written down my wish and the time. Soon
after I went downstairs and asked her if she had been thinking of it at all.
She replied that she had not till coming in from church, and that it was
about six years since she had heard or played it herself.
No. 8.
About April, 1890, while living in [a] family at Hammersmith, I was
asked if I would mind taking a dinner to a poor old woman who had seen
better days, as we sometimes say. I took it and entered into conversation
with her. She told me her circumstances, and I wished that someone would
JAN., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 15
give her help. Suddenly it occurred to me that Annie D , a servant
living in the same house as myself, was in the habit of visiting her on Sun-
day afternoon and enjoying her conversation, but she was also very close
with her money, and as she enjoyed the old woman's conversation, and
sometimes a cup of tea at her expense, I thought she might have rewarded
[her] in some little way which would not hurt her feelings, and I wished I
could influence her to do so anonymously. A week later something pre-
vented the housemaid from taking the old lady's Sunday dinner again, so
Mrs. F , the mistress, asked me if I would. The old lady said that dur-
ing the week a thing had happened to her which had greatly surprised her,
and which had never happened before. She had received an anonymous
letter containing stamps, and was very thankful to myself for sending it. I
told her that 1 had not sent it, but she said, " It is very strange then, for
although I have only seen you twice, yet every time I try to think who could
have sent it, something says 'Mrs. F 's governess,' and so, of course, I
can't help thinking you are the person." Then I wished to see, when I re-
turned, if Annie D had really sent it. So upon telling her what the old
lady had received, she blushed, and said, "Don't tell — I sent it in that way
because she is poor but proud, and I thought it would not hurt her feelings.
Something made me do it."
No. 9.
It was in March (I think) of the present year that I filled up a paper
respecting an apparition which had troubled me almost nightly for about
two years, and afterwards returned suddenly about five years later, and was
then seen by two other persons, one a doctor, the other a poor woman.
The apparition was a skeleton, &c. The particulars are fully described
in the paper sent to Mrs. Sidgwick. I was talking about this expe-
rience to members of the family I am living in, principally the doctor,
his wife, and Mr. Prest, who collects information for the Society. Con-
versations took place respecting it for several days in succession. I after-
wards went home for a holiday. I was surprised to hear the following from
my sister. She said that six nights in succession she had seen a skeleton's
head upon the wall, I think about 11 p.m. : it remained for hours, and that
directly it appeared I also came into her thoughts. She was not at all
frightened and altered the curtains and did many things in the room to get
rid of it. Finding it useless and as I was in her thoughts on each occasion
and during the time it remained, she connected it with myself, and said to
my mother who was sleeping with her, " You may depend upon it that Emma
(myself) has been troubled with that skeleton again, but I cannot understand
why I should see it too. " I then told my sister that I had filled up a paper
respecting it and as I had been talking about it several days in succession, I
must have caused her to see it too.
DONATION.
We have to acknowledge gratefully the receipt by the Treasurer
of a donation of £200 in aid of the work of the Society from Mrs.
Myers (Senior) of Brandon House, Cheltenham.
16 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1895.
CORRESPONDENCE.
APPARENT DUALITY OF CONSCIOUSNESS UNDER ANESTHETICS.
The following account of experiences under the influence of nitrous
oxide gas is somewhat similar to a case given in the Journal for
July, 1894. The impressions do not seem to have at all resembled
those described by Professor W. Ramsay, in his paper on Partial
Anesthesia, in the Proceedings S.P.R., Part XXV., Vol IX., p. 236.
About August, 1893, I had " laughing gas " during the extraction of two
teeth, and observed the following : —
The dentist told me that when I heard the notes of a musical-box I
should know I had "come to." The doctor said I should not hear him
count " twelve." The same had been told me about three weeks before. I
had on that occasion heard " seven," and knew no more till I heard the
musical-box. On this occasion I tried to keep consciousness of the
interval.
At " two " the gas was turned on. At " six " I was conscious, but aware
that I could no longer stop the operation. I heard " seven " and " eight,'' and
then the conversation between the two gentlemen became so absorbing that
I forgot to listen to the counting. They were discussing the question of my
sensibility, and saying that they were only pretending to give me gas. The
last remark of the dentist was addressed to me, " You see, it is entirely a
question of faith." As I heard this, I also heard the musical-box, and one
part of me knew that the teeth were out and the remark of the dentist
imaginary, while the other part knew that the remark was real, and that
nothing but conversation had occurred since I sat down. Another part of
me, which I can only call I, waited to see which was the correct version.
Almost instantly the three united and I realized the situation.
Last June I again had gas for the extraction of one tooth, under similar
circumstances. The doctor said I should not hear " fifteen."
At "two" the gas was turned on. At "seven" I was aware that I
could not move much, but was still so conscious that I lifted my hand (with
great difficulty) to show that I still felt. I heard " eight, nine," and instead
of "ten," at what seemed just the proper interval, I heard the doctor speak
about the extracted tooth to the dentist. At the same time I knew that
someone else, very closely connected with me, had gone through a long ex-
perience since hearing the word " nine." Then I felt that these two " some-
bodies " were amalgamating, and as they united I heard the musical-box ;
but there was a further interval before I was able to move. The dentist was
urging me to sit up ; but I made no effort, as I felt that I was not quite sure
that I was complete enough to move. I was not certain that the person who
heard the order to move was able to convey the order to the person who had
to move. It was only when I actually sat up that I was sure that "I
was I."
M. DE G. V.
August 1st, 1894.
No. CXVIL— VOL. VII. FEBRUARY, 1895.
JOURNAL
OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGE
New Members an J Associates 17
Annual Business Meeting 18
Meeting of the Council 19
General Meeting 21
Case received by the Literary Committee 25
M. Bourget's Impressions of Mrs. Piper 28
Thought-reading in Young Children 29
The Need for Experiments in Automatism 30
The Edmund Gurney Library Fund .. 31
Balance Sheet for the Year 1894 32
NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.
Names of Members are printed in Black Type.
Names of Associates are printed in SMALL CAPITALS.
CATHELS, REV. DAVID, M.A., The Manse, Hawick. N.B.
CLISSOLD, EDWARD M., Fawley Lodge, Lansdown-road, Cheltenham.
COLEGRANE, MRS. E., Bracebridge, Norwood, S.E.
GHIN, PROFESSOR FRANCESCO, S. Barnaba, Venice.
HAWEIS, Miss, 127, Victoria-street, London, S.W.
HOOD, MRS., 115, St. George's road, London, S.W.
KNUTSFORD, THE LADY, 75, Eaton-square, London, S.W.
Martinez, Mrs., 12, Cambridge-terrace, Hyde Park, London, W.
NEWBERY, J., 3, Bedford-place, Brighton.
PACE, Miss E. M., M.B. (London), 7, Elmbank-street, Glasgow.
Palmer, Miss, 3, Carlisle-place, Victoria-street, London, S.W.
Rathbone, Mrs., Green Bank, Liverpool.
RICHARDSON, ARTHUR, PH.D., 22, Meridian-place, Clifton, Bristol.
RICHARDSON, Miss J., 35, West Cromwell-road, South Kensington, S.W.
ROBINSON, LADY, 58, Ebury-street, London, S.W.
RUSHTON, C. H., 7, Queen Elizabeth's-walk, Stoke Newington, N.
RUSSELL, MRS. HENSHAW, 23, Beulah hill, Norwood, S.E.
SwiREjCoMMANDER HERBERT, R.N., Halstede, Archer' s-rd., Southampton.
THURBURN, MRS., Kirkfell, Highland-road, Upper Norwood, S.E.
TURNILL, HENRY, Heathside, Crayford, Kent.
VICKERS, MRS., 26, Queen's Gate-gardens, London, S.W.
WALLOP, REV. EDWARD, The Missionary College, Burgh le Marsh,
R.S.O., Line.
18 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB-» 1896-
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
CLAPP, MRS. EMMA A., 5,431, Cottage Grove-avenue, Chicago, 111.
FINNEY, Miss IDA M., Lambertville, New Jersey.
GREENE, BERTRAM, 50, Rue de Bassano, Paris, France.
HALL, JAMES P., Tribune Office, New York, N.Y.
LIBRARIAN of Cazenovia Public Library, Cazenovia, N.Y.
LIBRARIAN, Metropolitan Club Library, Washington, D.C.
RUSSELL. ARTHUR J., Office of The Journal, Minneapolis, Minn.
SOULE, GEORGE H. S., 40, State-street, Boston, Mass.
TIFFANY, W. G., 54, Rue de Bassano, Paris, France.
WELD, Miss EDITH, South and Centre-streets, Jamaica Plain, Mass.
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING.
The Thirteenth Annual Business Meeting of the Members of the
Society was held at the Westminster Town Hall on January 25th,
Professor Sidgwick in the chair.
Referring to the position of the Society, Professor Sidgwick said he
was glad to be able to state that the number of members continued to
increase. The total number of members of all classes was 914 on
'January 1st, 1895, as against 877 the year before. In the American
Branch there had, however, been a slight decline, from 521 to 503.
An audited statement of the receipts and expenditure of the
Society during 1894 was presented to the meeting. It appears as
usual in the Journal. The auditor reported that the accounts had
been kept with the usual care. Speaking of the finances of the
Society, the Chairman briefly noted the position of stability and
security in which they had been placed through the legacy of £2,700
left to the Society by the late Dr. A. T. Myers. They were now per
manently relieved from any necessity of taking account of the value
of the Library, the stock of Proceedings, or the furniture, in order to
show a balance of assets over liabilities. Speaking of the American
Branch, Professor Sidgwick referred to the great time of depression
which the United States had been passing through, the effects of
which had been severely felt by the Branch of the S.P.R., in common
with the rest of American society. It might be hoped, however, that
this depression was only temporary. The Council had unanimously
approved, with the consent of the Trustees, of an advance being made
to the Branch from the funds placed at the disposal of the Society by
Dr. Myers' legacy, and by a donation of £200 from Mrs. Myers (senior).
This item would be found in the statement of Accounts.
As those present would be aware, the Second-Sight Enquiry had
been prosecuted during the year, and was still proceeding. £46 of the
Fund provided by the liberality of the Marquis of Bute remained in
hand.
S'EB., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 19
Referring to the two next items on the agenda, " Proposed
alterations in Rules" and " Proposed Incorporation of the Society,"
the Chairman said that, as all members had received notice of the
proposed alterations in the rules, most of which were of a trivial
character, it was unnecessary for him to go through them. Some later
•suggestions had, however, been received. He would ask Mr. H. Arthur
Smith to put the whole question before the meeting.
MR. H. A. SMITH explained the reasons which had led to the pro-
posal for the incorporation of the Society. It was a step which had
recently been taken by a large number of scientific bodies, and had
various practical business advantages, while it would in no way affect
the actual working of the Society, nor would it either diminish the
privileges or increase the responsibilities of the members. In view of
•the proposal it was desirable that a number of small changes should
be made in the rules, so that, in the event of incorporation being
adopted, they could without further change become what would
technically be "The Articles of Association" of the Society. Mr.
ISmith proposed some slight amendments to the rules as they had
been sent round to members. After a full discussion, they were
unanimously adopted as amended. They will be printed in the next
volume of the Proceedings.
A further resolution in favour of the incorporation of the Society
was also unanimously carried.
PROF. BARRETT remarked that thanks were due to Mr. H. Arthur
Smith and to Mr. Sydney C. Scott for the work they had done iu con-
nection with this matter, which would save the Society considerable
expense in carrying it out.
Proceeding to the annual election of a portion of the Council, the
Chairman said that, no further nominations having been made since
the usual notice had been sent round to members, he had only to declare
that Professor W. F. Barrett, Lieut.-Col. J. Hartley, Dr. Walter Leaf,
Professor Oliver J. Lodge, F.R.S., Mr. F. W. H. Myers, Lord Rayleigh,
F.R.S., Mr. H. Babington Smith, Mr. R. Pearsall Smith, and Sir
Augustus Stephenson, K.C.B., Q.C., were duly elected.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
The Council met at the close of the Annual Business Meeting, and
at four o'clock adjourned, meeting again at six o'clock. Professor
Sidgwick occupied the chair. There were also present at one or both
sittings : — Professor W. F. Barrett, Colonel Hartley, Sir Augustus
K. Stephenson, Dr. J. Milne Bramwell, Dr. G. F. Rogers, and Messrs.
"W. Crookes, F. W. H. Myers, F. Podmore, Sydney C. Scott,
H. Arthur Smith, and R. Pearsall Smith.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and signed as correct.
Report was made that the Annual Business Meeting had been held,
and Members of Council elected as stated above.
20 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 1895.
Gerald W. Balfour, Esq., M.P., Thomas Barkworth, Esq., Dr.
A. W. Barrett, Dr. J. Milne Bramwell, the Earl of CrawSord and
Balcarres, K.T., Mr. Registrar Hood, Dr. G. F. Rogers, and Sydney C.
Scott, Esq., were co-opted as Members of Council for the ensuing year,,
under the new rules as adopted at the Annual Business Meeting.
Professor William James, of Harvard University, U.S.A., was-
re-elected President of the Society for the ensuing year.
Mr. H. Arthur Smith was elected as Hon. Treasurer, Messrs.
F. W. H. Myers and F. Podmore were elected as Hon. Secretaries,,
and Mr. Morell Theobald as Auditor for the ensuing year.
Three new Members and nineteen new Associates were elected whose-
names and addresses are given on a preceding page. The election of
ten new Associates of the American Branch was recorded. The
resignation of one Member and sixteen Associates, who from various
causes desired to leave the Society at the end of 1894, was recorded.
At the request of Dr. Abraham Wallace, his name is transferred
from the list of Associates to that of Members, and at the request of
Miss A. E. Martin and of Miss A. R. Marten their names are
transferred from the list of Members to that of Associates.
The Committees were re-elected as follows, with power to add to
their number : —
Committee of Reference. — Professor W. F. Barrett, Mr. W.
Crookes, Dr. R. Hodgson, Dr. W. Leaf, Professor O. J. Lodge, Mr.
F. W. H. Myers, Lord Rayleigh, Dr. C. Lockhart Robertson, Pro-
fessor H. Sidgwick, Professor J. J. Thomson, Dr. J. Venn, and Mrs,
Verrall.
Literary Committee. — Mr. T. Barkworth, Dr. W. Leaf, Mr. F. W_
H. Myers, Mr. F. Podmore, Professor H. Sidgwick, and Mrs.
Sidgwick.
Library Committee. — Dr. J. Milne Bramwell, Col. Hartley, Mr. F.
W. H. Myers, and Dr. C. Lloyd Tuckey.
Hypnotic Committee. — Mr. T. Barkworth, Dr. A. W. Barrett, Dr.
J. M. Bramwell, Mr. St. George Lane Fox, Dr. W. Leaf, Mr. F.
Podmore, Mr. G. Albert Smith, Dr. C. Lloyd Tuckey, and Mr. E.
Westlake.
Finance Committee. — Mr. Sydney C. Scott, Mr. H. Arthur Smith,
and Lieut.-Col. G. L. Le M. Taylor.
The lists of Corresponding Members and Honorary Associates were
gone through.
Several presents to the Library were reported, for which a vote of
thanks was accorded to the donors.
The Finance Committee were requested to prepare an estimate of
the income of the Society and a scheme of expenditure for the current
year, and to present it to the next Meeting of the Council.
Various other matters of business having been disposed of, the
Council agreed to meet on Friday, March 1st, at 4.30 p.m., at 19,
Buckingham-street, W.C.
FEB., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 21
GENERAL MEETING.
The 70th General Meeting of the Society was held at the
Westminster Town Hall on Friday, January 25th, at 4 p.m., Professor
Sidgwick in the chair.
MR. F. W. H. MYERS delivered an address on " The Progression from
Subliminal Phenomena to Phenomena claiming to be obtained under
Spirit Control," — of which the following is a brief resume : —
The Society has lately been presented with accounts of various
extraordinary phenomena, occurring in the presence of Mr. Stainton-
Moses, or of Eusapia Paladino. It is felt, I think, on many sides that
one of the gravest drawbacks to belief in such phenomena lies not in
defect of actual testimony to their occurrence, but in the incoherence
and unintelligibility of the phenomena themselves. They cannot be
fitted into any scheme of Nature, nor do they in themselves seem to
have any serious meaning, but rather to be purely grotesque and
irrelevant. I believe that in reality the case is quite otherwise ; and
that these phenomena of the seance-room will be found on analysis to
be extensions of vital phenomena which we already know to occur
under subliminal control ; — that is, under the control of that part of
our own being whose operation lies below the threshold of our ordinary
consciousness.
Thus, if we consider the processes and products of ordinary physical
nutrition, we recognise that out of an almost endless number of
possible compounds, resulting from protoplasmic metabolism, com-
paratively few are actually produced, and those few as the result of
certain fairly uniform conditions or stimuli. But so soon as hypnotic
suggestion — which in the last resort is self-suggestion — begins to act,
secretions may be evoked by novel stimuli ; — or say by a central impulse
which dispenses with the local stimulus usually needed. Thus in
stigmatisation the serum which ordinarily forms itself after local
mechanical irritation now forms itself in direct obedience to a central
idea. Push this process a step further, and assume an action upon the
organism directed by fuller knowledge, and you may have new com-
pounds formed in the body, — a novel metastasis of secretion directed
by an idea, just as it was an idea which directed the locality of the
blisters formed in the stigmatisee. Suppose then that a spirit desires
so to use its power over a human organism as to produce a secretion
unmistakeably novel and purposive, is it not possible that it will so
combine the constituents of the body, — in themselves adequate, if
suitably compounded, to the simulation of almost any of the familiar
scents, — as to produce a, fragrant secretion ? And if so, analogy shows
that the sudorific glands will be among the most easily affected. We
shall have, then, a gradual approach to one of Mr. Moses' phenomena,
which is at first sight among the most grotesque, — namely, the well-
attested fact of the stillation of " liquid scent " from a certain area
on his scalp.
Again, the unconsuming, arbitrarily generated, lights which are
recorded at seances, in themselves so inexplicable, are not without
22 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 1895*
analogies, — too complex to be here detailed. It must suffice to say that
in so far as these lights are truly phosphorescent, they may again
involve an action exercised on the sudorific glands of the medium.
Phosphorescent perspiration has not been infrequently observed in
clinical practice, especially when much free phosphorus has been,
taken as a medicine, — and it is specially claimed by Mr. Moses' guides
that for the purpose of obtaining " power " they draw phosphorus,
from the medium's body.
Again, consider the intimate control over matter claimed by spirits,
and exhibited in arbitrary disequalisation of temperature, and other
abrogations of ordinary thermal laws, and in aggregation and dis-
aggregation of matter, as when pearls fall from the air, an orange
passes through a wall, etc. As was urged on a former occasion, these
assumed powers are almost exactly identical with the powers of the
so-called "demons of Maxwell," — imaginary entities conceived as-
illustrating what could be effected by creatures who could deal with
molecules singly, — as we might deal, say, with golf-balls, tennis balls,
cricket-balls, which we could sort individually and arrange as we
pleased, — instead of dealing with molecules only in the gross, and by
prodigious multitudes at a time, which is all that we can actually do.
If in these physical, material phenomena anything like a progress.
or series can be observed, leading from the faculty manifested in
common life, the faculty which the human organism or the human
spirit shows under circumstances which call its own hidden powers into
play, onwards to the faculty manifested by er through the same organism,
when acted upon by the superior skill and knowledge of a spirit
already disembodied ; — if, I say, there is any kind of continuous-
progress discernible in this series of phenomena, concerned with
physical nutrition and physical expenditure, much more will such
continuity be discernible when we approach the phenomena of mental
nutrition and mental expenditure ; — the reception of sense-impressions-
and the output of ideation, emotion, and will, which constitute the
mental or subjective exchanges of the inner man. In this higher
series we find the sense impressions habitually received by the supra-
liminal self widening into the telepathic and clairvoyant impressions
received by the subliminal self ; — and when once any breath of
knowledge from a transcendental world has thus entered the human
spirit, there need be no violence in the assumption that that trans-
cendental world, with its appropriate denizens, may be more and more
fully opened up to the perception of the still incarnate soul.
Such speculations as these must as yet be crude in the extreme ;
but they represent a line of inquiry which must inevitably be some
day pursued to better profit, if there be any fragment of truth in the
whole range of spirit-guided phenomena. The slightest spirit-rap, if it
truly exists, will need volumes to explain it. For it cannot stand
alone : it cannot be isolated from the phenomena which we already
know. If Nature is to be intelligible to our minds she must be con-
tinuous ; her action must be uniformitarian and not catastrophic ; —
or the catastrophes of the human spirit must only be such as those
FEB., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 23
which mark the passage of a material body from the solid to the
liquid, or from the liquid to the gaseous state. Only when, we can
see — however dimly — the whole range of material and psychical
phenomena linked and in connection, shall we see even the simplest
phenomenon aright. That ideal may be an unattainable one, but it
must be none the less our ideal.
Some discussion followed, in the course of which
MR. ST. GEORGE LANE Fox remonstrated against Mr. Myers' use of
the word " spirit," as a word which, lie thought, had acquired too many
associations with superstition and error to be suitably used in any dis-
cussion which aimed at exactness. What was needed was some word
conveying the idea of a centre of psychic action which was in some sense
continuous under changing conditions, without, however, the idea of
fixity and permanence ; — some word corresponding to the "five Shand-
has " of Buddhist terminology, which implied aggregations of activities,
affinities, or potencies, whether corporeal, psychical, or mental, which
went to make up our ideas of a separate entity.
MR. MYERS agreed with Mr. Lane Fox in wishing that it were
possible to find some term which would be freer from old associations
than the word "spirit." He did not, however, himself venture to
propose a new word. The Buddhistic terms suggested by Mr. Lane
Fox were in theaiselves ancient and respectable in the highest degree ;
but he (the speaker) fancied that he had seen them of late years in
somewhat questionable company.
The REV. J. PAGE HOPPS remarked on the interest of Mr. Moses'
communications as insisting on the benefit of prayer, not only to the
supplicant, but also to the departed spirits themselves, who were
represented as helped forward by the prayers of living men for their
welfare.
In reply to a question as to the degree in which Mr. Moses' guides
represented prayer as efficacious for the supplicant's own benefit, MR.
MYERS replied that the automatic writings asserted that elevated
prayer was always beneficial in so far that it attracted influences of a
high order round the supplicant, from whom, unconsciously to him-
self, he received moral benefit. Prayer for physical benefits (as the
relief of pain) could only, they said, be efficacious in the case of a
medium, whom it was possible for spirits to approach on a physical
plane.
DR. A. WALLACE supported what had been said as to sudden
accesses of hysterical strength, and added that he had met with some
cases in hospital practice which led him to accept the possibility of
prenatal suggestion.
PROFESSOR W. F. BARRETT, in reference to Mr. Myers' remarks
on the possible emission of light by all living things, drew attention to
the fact that even in the most rudimentary forms of animal life the
organic processes going on involved oxidation and disintegration,
protoplasmic changes which are necessarily accompanied by the evolu-
tion of heat. The greater the activify of this chemical change, which
24 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 1895.
is constantly in process in all living protoplasm, the higher is the
temperature attained ; and as this difference of temperature between
living tissue and the surrounding medium extends not only to the
infusoria and to so-called cold-blooded animals, but also to plants —
many of which, like the arum, are sensibly warm to the touch — it
follows that all life, even the lowest, does emit radiation. The radi-
ance of living things is not, as a rule, perceived by us, simply because
the normal human eye is unaffected by rays in the infra-red portion of
the spectrum, but it does not follow that to all eyes, under all condi-
ditions, this radiation is invisible. On the contrary, we should
expect that the collective visual power of the whole of animal life
would far transcend the range of vision of any single individual.
Furthermore, the exaltation of special sense-perceptions, which is
found in certain individuals in their normal state and is excited in
others by hypnotism, would lead us to expect that in such the range of
vision might, by appropriate tests, be found to be widely extended.
This is precisely what Reichenbach asserts, — that to his sensitives the
human body was invested with a phosphorescent light, which he
carefully tests and minutely describes.
The speaker continued: — "In the course of my investigation of
the alleged luminosity of the magnetic field, I found one sensitive
whose statements corroborated Reichenbach's assertions as to the
light from the human body. This sensitive was a somnambulist, an
uneducated Irish lad named Fearnley, with whom I made the experi-
ments on thought-transference at varying distances (described in Vol.
II. of the Proceedings of the S.P.R., p. 13). The lad was placed for
half-an-hour in a dark room in my laboratory, a room specially con-
structed to ensure the most perfect darkness attainable : at the end of
that time he began to see the magnetic glow, which was very carefully
tested. Suddenly he surprised me by exclaiming, ' I see you quite
well,' and in answer to questions said, 'You are moving your arm '
(which was correct), 'you have two fingers open' (right), ' and now all
five ' (also right). (I am quoting from memory as to the number of
fingers, but that is immaterial.) No hint was, of course, given to the
boy as to Reichenbach's experiments, nor any suggestion made that he
was expected to see anything, and absolutely nothing was perceived
by myself. To test the boy further, I took out my watch, and asked
if he could see the time by it ; he asked me to put my fingers near the
face, which I did, and at once he told me he could see where the hands
pointed by the light from my finger-tips. The watch being a keyless
one, I turned the hands round till they pointed to some unknown hour
and again asked him the time as before. When I pointed my fingers to
the face of the watch, he said, ' Oh, it is different,' and gave me the
apparent time. Going outside through the double, light-tight door, I
found he was quite correct, and returning, tried him again, and again
he was right. A subsequent trial, on another day, did not prove so
successful ; the boy saw nothing. He evidently did not like being
shut up in a dark room for a long time alone ; and the magnetic-glow
experiments had considerably taxed his time and patience, nor
FEB., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 25
•could he be well spared from the occupation he was employed in ; so,
to my regret, I had to let him go, and have not seen him since. Of
this, however, I was satisfied — that a searching inquiry over a wide
range of persons, especially of those subject to natural or induced
somnambulism, would be of the deepest interest, and would probably
foe found to confirm the amazing statements made by Reichenbach. I
myself am convinced that certain persons, under proper physical and
psychical conditions, do see both a magnetic and a human glow. As
this luminosity might be due to ultra-violet radiation, and the crystal-
line lens largely absorbs these rays, I examined several persons upon
whom the operation of cataract had been performed, but in no case
found them sensitive either to the magnetic or to the human glow."
In conclusion, Professor Barrett wished to call attention to two letters
•connected with this subject written by two well-known and eminent
scientific men, Professor E. F. Fitzgerald and Dr. W. Huggins, and
which he had published in the Proceedings S.P.R., Vol. I., p. 236.
PROFESSOR SIDGWICK, in closing the meeting, said that he was
-desirous of preventing any misunderstanding as to the position — he
would not say " of the Society," which held no opinions in its collective
•capacity — but of those who had taken an active part in its investi-
gations, in regard to the experiences of Mr. Stainton Moses, which had
supplied the chief basis of fact for Mr. Myers' speculations that after-
noon. It must not be supposed that their investigators as a body
regarded the physical phenomena reported among these experiences as
-established facts, which might be safely taken as data in scientific
theorising. On the contrary, in bringing the records of these experi-
ences before the public, the Council had been careful to state that there
were wide differences of opinion among its members as to the inferences
to be drawn from them. At the same time all would agree that, in
balancing the opposite improbabilities of the different possible inter-
pretations of these experiences, the degree of difficulty found, as Mr.
Myers had said, in " fitting the phenomena into any scheme of Nature "
was an important consideration ; and accordingly such an attempt as
Mr. Myers had made this afternoon to reduce this difficulty — by point-
ing out analogies between these phenomena and other facts, recognised
•either by scientific men generally, or at any rate by Psychical Researchers
generally — would be, he thought, admitted by all to be a legitimate
and interesting contribution to the discussion.
CASE RECEIVED BY THE LITERARY COMMITTEE.
L. 982. Ae Pn Apparition.
The following case is interesting, not only as an apparently veridical
hallucination, but on account of the different stages through which the
impression passed. It will be noticed that it began with a A^ivid sense of
presence, then took the form of an externalised visual hallucination, but
transparent, thus being what we called in the Report on th°. Census of
Hallucinations (Proceedings, S.P.R., Part XXVI.) an incompletely
26 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 1895.
developed hallucination, and finally assumed a " pseudo-hallucinatory "
form. It belongs to the class of cases discussed in Chapter IV. of
the Report. See especially the experience of Miss S. given on p. 90.
The case was received by Mr. Myers from Mr. Kearne, of 37,
Avonmore Gardens, West Kensington, on December 24th, 1894, and
the signatures of the two other witnesses were added to the account
later.
On the evening of February 10th, 1894, I was sitting in my room
expecting the return of two friends from a concert in the provinces where
they had been performing. The friends in question had lived with me for
some years, and we were more than usually attached to one another. I had
no knowledge by what particular train they intended returning to town, but
knew when the last train they could catch was due to arrive in London
(9.5 p.m.) and how long to a few minutes they would take from the terminus
to get home (about 10 p.m.). Our profession entails a great deal of travelling;
my friends have had plenty of experience in this direction, and there was
no question of their being well able to look after themselves. I may just
add that one of these friends has made this same journey weekly for the last
eight or nine years, so that I knew quite well his usual time of arrival at
Liverpool-street.
On the day mentioned they were performing at an afternoon con-
cert, and I had every reason to believe they would be tired and get home-
as soon as possible. I allowed half-an-hour beyond the usual time
(10.30 p.m.) of arrival to elapse before I got at all uneasy, speculating as
people will under such circumstances as to what was keeping them, although
arguing to myself all the time that there was not the slightest occasion for
alarm. I then took up a book in which I was much interested, sitting in an
easy chair before the fire with a reading lamp close to my right side, and in
such a position that only by deliberately turning round could I see the
window on my left, before which heavy chenille curtains were drawn. I bad
read some twenty minutes or so, was thoroughly absorbed in the book, my
mind was perfectly quiet, and for the time being my friends were quite
forgotten, when suddenly without a moment's warning my whole being
seemed roused to the highest state of tension or aliveness, and I was aware,
with an intenseness not easily imagined by those who have never experienced
it, that another being or presence was not only in the room but close to me.
I put my book down, and although my excitement was great, I felt quite
collected and not conscious of any sense of fear. Without changing my
position, and looking straight at the fire, I knew somehow that my friend
A. H. was standing at my left elbow, but so far behind me as to be hidden
by the arm-chair in which I was leaning back. Moving my eyes round
slightly without otherwise changing my position, the lower portion of one
leg became visible, and I instantly recognised the grey-blue material of
trousers he often wore, but the stuff appeared semi-transparent, reminding
me of tobacco smoke in consistency.1 I could have touched it with my hand
without moving more than my left arm. With that curious instinctive wish
not to see more of such a ' ' figure," I did no more than glance once or twice
at the apparition and then directed my gaze steadily at the fire in front of
me. An appreciable space of time passed, — probably several seconds in all,
but seeming in reality much longer, — when the most curious thing happened..
Standing upright between me and the window on my left, and at a distance
1 The trousers of grey-blue stuff proved to be what A H. wore the evening the-
vision was seen.
FKB., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 27'
of about four feet from me and almost immediately behind my chair, I saw
perfectly distinctly the figure of my friend, — the face very pale, the head
slightly thrown back, the eyes shut, and on one side of the throat, just
under the jaw, a wound with blood on it. The figure remained motionless
with the arms close to the sides, and for some time, how long I can't say,
I looked steadily at it ; then all at once roused myself, turned deliberately
round, the figure vanished, and I realised instantly that I had seen the figure
behind me without moving from my first position, — an impossible feat
physically. 1 am perfectly certain I never moved my position from the first
appearance of the figure as seen physically, until it disappeared on my
turning round.
I should like to state that for the last fifteen years I havejbeen the
witness of psychic phenomena of almost every kind, that in consequence I
am not flurried or afraid at their appearance as one strange to them would
be ; but in all that time never once has anything of a psychical nature hap-
pened to me alone and unsought for ; it was in fact a unique experience to
me. 1 was now of course thoroughly alarmed, and as rapidly as possible
considered what was to be done. My first thought was to go to the railway
terminus and see if anything had happened. I, however, carefully noted
the time (10.50 p.m.) by the clock in front of me, and reflected that if the
apparition meant an accident to my friend at anything like the time of its
appearance, the last train had been due in London at least 1£ hours,
so that it could not have happened on the journey home. How I got
through the next 40 minutes, with our housekeeper worrying about our miss-
ing friends, I don't know. At the end of this time I heard a hansom stop
before the door (11.35 p.m.). My friends came in and apparently [did]
not hurry themselves to come up and see me, from which fact 1 felt reassured
that nothing very serious could have happened, or I should have been in-
formed of it at once. My friend B. then came up, saying, " Come and see
A. H., what a state he is in." I found him in the bathroom with his collar
and shirt torn open, the front of the latter with blood upon it, and bathing
a wound under his jaw which was bleeding. His face was very pale, and he
was evidently suffering from a shock of some kind. As soon as I could, I got
an account of what had happened.
They had arrived in London punctually, and feeling tired, although in
good spirits, drove with a third gentleman, who had been performing with
them, to a restaurant opposite King's Cross Station to have some supper.
Before leaving the restaurant, my friend, A. H. (whose apparition I saw)>
complained of feeling faint from the heat of the place, went out into the
street to get some fresh air-, and had hardly got into the open when he felt
his senses leave him, and he fell heavily forward, striking his jaw on the
edge of the kerb, then rolling over on his back. On recovering conscious-
ness, two policemen were standing over him, one of whom, — failing to un-
fasten his collar to give him air, — had cut both that and his tie. After inform-
ing the rest of the party of what had happened, a cab was called, and my
two friends were driven home as quickly as possible. The exact time that
my friend, A.H., fainted was not of course noted by them ; but judging by
the average time a cab takes to do the distance, cut rather short on this
occasion in the effort to get A. H. home quickly, it would correspond within
three minutes to the time when the apparition appeared to me.
In conclusion it may be of interest to state that a curious mental sym-
pathy seems to exist between A. H. and myself. In addition to the pheno-
menon of saying the same thing at the same time and being aware on
special occasions of one another's thoughts,! have on many occasions distinctly
felt his approach before seeing him, and generally when I have been walk-
ing in the street and he has overtaken me on the top of the bus. On one
~2S Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Fun., 1895.
occasion I was making a purchase in a shop, and the mwi took his time
wrapping up the article I wanted. Without any apparent reason, I began
to get uneasy, and felt that unless he quickly handed me my parcel and let
me go, I must leave it and go into the street. To his astonishment, I sud-
denly rushed out of the shop, saw my friend riding past on a bus, sign ed to
him to come down, and we returned to the shop together. I don't know
which of the three was most surprised.
( PERCY KEARNE, January 9th, 1895 .
Signed 1 ALFRED HOBDAY, January 9th, 1895 .
( ARTHUR BENT, January 9th, 1895.
Mr. Myers writes : —
I had an interview with Mr. Kearne and Mr. Bent on December 29th,
1894, when we went carefully over the times of the various incidents of the
evening in question, and were satisfied that the accident and the apparition
were probably simultaneous. Mr. A. H., I understand, had no conscious
thought or impression of Mr. Kearne at the time of the accident.
F. W. H. MYERS.
M. BOURGET'S IMPRESSIONS OF MRS. PIPER.
The following extracts from an article which appeared in the
Figaro of January 14th, 1895, containing an account of a visit paid
to Mrs. Piper by the distinguished French novelist, M. Paul Bourge fc
may interest our readers.
After describing his journey from Boston, accompanied by Dr.
Hodgson, to Mrs. Piper's house, M. Bourget continues : —
Une petite fille nous reQoit, toute rieuse, qui nous introduit dans le salon
en nous disant que sa mere a eu beaucoup de stances ces jours-ci et qu'elle
est bien fatiguee. L'ameublement de cette piece ressemble a des centaines
U'autres que j'ai pu voir deja dans des maisons de cette classe. Sur le mur
1'image d'un Christ charge de sa croix, sur la table une Bible, temoignent
des sentiments religieux de la voyante. Des volumes de vers, la
"Princesse" de Tennyson, le "Lai du dernier Menestrel" de Scott, la
" Lalla Rookh " de Moore, attestent le classicisme de son gout litteraire.
Elle-meme arrive. C'est une femme qui peut avoir trente-cinq ans. Les
traits de son visage sont coinme elastiques, sans doute a cause d'une
extraordinaire souplesse des muscles de la face. Son teint de blonde
an£mique, un teint exsangue, d'une paleur epuisee, est anime par deux yeux
clairs, si etrangement clairs et fixes, que d'en rencontrer le petit point
central, tout brillant et sombre, vous inflige une gene inexprimable.
Elle est cependant bien simple et, quand elle parle, c'est d'une voix
douce et lasse"e.
Next follows a vivid description of Mrs. Piper's trance-condition,
and the control by " Dr. Phinuit," the main features of which are
FEB., 1895.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 29'
already so familiar to us. M. Bourget then gives the following account
of his own experience of her powers : —
Mrs. P me tenait les mains, et elle touchait en meme temps uue
toute petite pendule de voyage ayant appartenu a quelqu'un qu'elle ne
pouvait pas avoir connu, — un peintre qui s'est tue dans des circonstances
particulierement tristes de folie momentanee. Comment arriva-t-elle a me
dire et cette profession de 1'ancien proprietaire de la pendule et sa folie, et
le genre meme de son suicide ? Y avait-il une communication entre mon
esprit et son esprit a elle, dedoubl^ dans cette mysterieuse personnalit^ du
docteur Lyonnais 1 Mes mains, qu'elle tenait entre les siennes, lui reVe-
laient-elles, par des fre"missements perceptibles a 1'hyperacuit^ de ses nerfs,
mes impressions sous chacun de ses mots, et avait-elle conserve", dans son
sommeil, un pouvoir de se laisser guider par ces minuscules jalons ? Ou
bien, car il faut toujours re"server une place au scepticisme, etait-elle une
comedienne incomparable et qui devinait mes pense"es au ton seul de mes
questions et de mes reponses ?...Mais non. Elle etait sincere. Les
physiologistes qui Font observee dans ses crises ont trop souvent reconnu le
caractere magnetique de son sommeil a des indices mecaniques qui ne
trompent pas. Tout ce que je peux conclure des details re'ellement
extraordinaires qu'elle me donna, k moi, un. etranger de passage, sur un
disparu, et dont je n'avais parl^ a personne dans son entourage, c'est que
1'esprit a des precedes de connaitre, non soupqonnes par notre analyse.
THOUGHT-READING IN YOUNG CHILDREN.
The current number (November — December, 1894,) of the AnnaJes
des Sciences Psychiques contains a most remarkable case of thought-
reading on the part of a child of 5 — 7 years old. The case was
communicated in 1893 to the Societt de medecine d? Angers by Dr.
Quintard, whose report of his personal observations was confirmed at
the time by Dr. Tesson. Dr. Petrucci, Director of the Asylum of
Maine-et-Loire, and several other medical men also examined the
percipient (who is called Ludovic X.), and apparently found no flaw
in the report of his powers.
Dr. Quintard states that, in spite of the fact that Ludovic X. had
excellent health, and that both he and his parents, as far as the medical
men could discover, were entirely free from any kind of nervous
disorder, he showed promise, at the age of 5 years, of rivalling the feats
of the most celebrated calculating boys. His mother began to teach
him the multiplication table, but found that he could say it as well
as she could, and he gave correct answers to the most complicated
pro blems in mental arithmetic without a ' pause. An intuitive
"30 JourrMl of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., is<r>.
faculty for languages, as well as for mathematics, seemed developed in
this infant prodigy, who would translate at hearing any sentence in
English, Spanish or Greek, and gave a satisfactory solution of a
Latin riddle. To the disappointment of his parents and friends, these
apparently remarkable powers turned out to be due to nothing but
telepathy. It was almost always necessary that his mother should
fix her mind on the right answer to the problem, \\-hatever it was,
before he could give it, and he could repeat equally well anything
else that she was thinking of, such as a given number or word, or
any card drawn from a pack. His unerring capacity for guessing his
mother's thoughts was found to be a serious drawback when she
tried to teach him to read. He read from her mind instead of from
the book, and exercising neither his judgment nor his memory, made no
progress. Ingenious devices had to be resorted to to baffle him, and
everything was done to discourage and stifle the telepathic power on.
the advice of Dr. Quintard, who wrote to Dr. Dariex (Editor of the
Annales), in September, 1894, that it seemed to be gradually dis-
appearing ; on some days, Luclovic X. could only guess the beginnings
of words, instead of the whole of them.
THE NEED FOR EXPERIMENTS IN AUTOMATISM.
I venture to repeat once more to our readers the request already
so often made — for more experiments in automatism ; a larger crop
of subliminal messages or crystal-visions. Let me once more point
out that there is nothing superstitious in experiments of this kind; we
are not asking for such messages as authoritative revelations from the
spirit- world, but rather as indications of what is going on in ourselves
beneath the threshold of our ordinary consciousness. I believe,
indeed, that strange faculties are there operating; but nothing can be
more legitimate than to test by actual experiment the evidence for
such faculties which automatic writing may or may not afford.
The simplest plan, for those who can do so, is merely to hold a
pencil and allow automatic writing to supervene. But it often happens
that more persons than one have to combine in order to obtain any
response ; so that a planchette or some similar instrument becomes
needful. A Cambridge friend has devised two little instruments of
this kind, which he thus describes : —
" Pytho is an instrument consisting of a flat wooden disc marked
with letters and numbers round a part of its circumference and pro-
FEB., 1805.] Journal of Society for Psychical Research. 31
vided with a central pin, about which there rotates an arrangement
of a brass pointer extending to the letters, and three shorter arms
iitted with revolving handles. It is made in two sizes, and may be
used for the indication of automatic messages by one, two, or three
persons.
" Chrao is a device of four short arms at right angles, which unite
in a small wooden ball pierced at its centre to receive a pencil for
•direct writing or a smooth-footed leg for the indication of letters
printed on an accompanying chart. It may be used by one,, two, three,
or four persons and furnishes a convenient rest for automatic writing.
" These instruments have been designed with the object of obtain-
ing clearness in the messages with as little friction as possible in
operation. They are published by F. H. Ayres, 111, Aldersgate-
street, London, Pytho at 7s. 6d. and 3s., Chrao at Is. 6d. and 2s., with
two of the arms detachable."
These instruments form, I think, a decided improvement on the
ordinary " planchette " or " ouija-board." The mechanism, however,
matters comparatively little, so long as in some way — be it with crystal,
or pencil, or " Pytho," or " Chrao" — patient and careful experiment is
made.
F. W. H. M.
THE EDMUND GURNEY LIBRARY FUND.
Account for 1894.
RECEIVED.
Balance from 1893
Interest on Consols
Interest on Midland Uru-
guay Railway ...
Interest on Buenos Aires
£ s. d.
7 13 7
18 4
3 17 6
Water and Drainage . 5 0 10
17 10 3
PAID.
For Binding
Balance carried forward
£ s. d.
150
832
982
821
17 10 3
Audited and found correct ; and three securities witnessed this day,
January llth, 1895. H. ARTHUR SMITH.
32 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 1895.
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No. CXVIIL— VOL. VII. MARCH AND APRIL, 1895.
JOURNAL
OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGE
New Associates 33
Meeting of the Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
General Meeting; 34
The Value of the Evidence ,f or Supernormal Phenomena in the case of Eusapia Paladino
86
55
M
07
75
Catalogue of Uuprinted Cases 70
NEW ASSOCIATES.
By Richard Hodgson, LL.D
Reply to Dr. Hodgson. By F VV. H. Myers
Additional Remarks by Professor Lodge
A propos des Experiences faites avec Eusapia Paladino. Par le Prof. Ch. Richet . .
Re'ponse a M. Hodgson. Par le Dr. J. Ochorowicz
BARLOW, Miss JANE, The Cottage, Raheny, co. Dublin.
CROSSLEY, PROFESSOR HASTINGS, Casa G-razia, Bordighera, Italy.
FREEMANN, REV. H. B., M.A., St. Anne's Rectory, 28, Soho-square, W.
GUNN, MRS., 36, George-lane, Lewisham, S.E.
HALL, MRS., 3, St. Alban's-road, Kensington, London, W.
HUDSON, NORMAN W., B.A., Pebble Hill, Limpsfield, Surrey.
LEWES, LIEUT-COLONEL G-.A., 19, R.M.C. Terrace, Camberley, Surrey.
OATES, F. EDWARD, St. Edmunds, Ware.
SANGER, CHARLES PERCY, Trinity College, Cambridge.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
BROWN, REV. HOWARD N., Walnut-street, Brookline, Mass.
BURDETT, CHARLES A., Woburn, Mass.
ELIOT, JOHN F., 48, Gordon-avenue, Hyde Park, Mass.
EVANS, MRS. GLENDOWER, 12, Otis-place, Boston, Mass.
GORTON, DR. D.A., 137, Clinton- street, Brooklyn, N.Y.
HODGSON, DR. THOMAS, Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.
McLAURY, DR. WM. M., 244, West 42-street, New York, N.Y.
S ALTER, W. M., 1,415, Walnut-street, Philadelphia, Pa.
UNDERBILL, Miss P. A., 55, W. 54th-street, New York, N.Y.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
The Council met at the Rooms of the Society on Friday, March
1st. Mr. R. Pearsall Smith was voted to the chair. There were
also present Dr. A. W. Barrett, Dr. W. Leaf, and Messrs. F. W. H.
Myers, F. Podmore, Sydney C. Scott, and H. Arthur Smith.
Dr. Abraham Wallace was co-opted as a Member of the Council
for the current year.
34 Meeting of the Council. [MAR.— APR-.ISSS;
Nine new Associates were elected, whose names and addresses
are given above. The election of nine new Associates of the
American Branch was recorded.
At her request the name of Mrs. Pitman Hooper was transferred
from the List of Members to that of Associates. M. Antoine
D'Abbadie, of Paris, also desires to be an Associate instead of a
Member, and has subscribed as a Life Associate.
The Council heard with regret of the death of Mr. Bainbridge R.
Bell, an Associate of the Society.
Some presents to the Library were reported, for which a vote of
thanks was passed to the donors.
The House and Finance Committee presented a report and an
estimate of Income and Expenditure for the current year. It was
agreed to adopt and as far as possible carry out its proposals and
recommendations.
It was arranged that, in addition to the General Meetings already
fixed for April 5th and May 17th, one should be held on Friday,
July 5th, at 4 p. m.
Various other matters having been discussed, the Council
agreed that its next meeting should be at the Westminster Town
Hall, on Friday, April 5th, at 3 p.m., previous to the General
Meeting on that day.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 71st General Meeting of the Society was held at the West-
minster Town Hall on Friday, March 1st, at 8.30 p.m. ; Mr. Pearsall
Smith in the chair.
MRS. A W. VERRALL read a paper on " Some Experiments in
the Supernormal Acquisition of Knowledge," of which the following
is an abstract : —
The principal experiments were made with playing cards, the
results being classified according to the supposed cause of success, (if
any), under five heads.
(A.) — Delicate sense of touch. The faces of the cards were felt
rapidly by the two thumbs. There was progress of skill in guessing
correctly the number of pips, but no conscious skill in guessing suits.
Results : —
No. of trials. Card right. Number right. Suit right.
400 34 83 121
(B.) — Pure Guesswork. One finger placed momentarily on the
back of each card. No progress in skill. Results: —
No. of trials. Card right. Number right. Suit right.
350 6 25 82
(C.) — Telepathy. (1.) Direct ; where Mrs. Verrall or H. (her little
girl) acted as agent, the other acting as percipient. (2.) Indirect ;
MAR.— APR., 1895.] General Meeting. 35
where both were guessing a card that had been drawn from a pack, so
that neither could be called agent. The cases where the guesses
coincided are those that are counted, as possibly due to telepathy.
Results : — (a) Direct ; Mrs. Verrall percipient.
No of trials. Card right. Number right. Suit right.
185 3 14 46
(b) Direct. H. percipient.
240 7 24 68
(c) Indirect.
590 14 56 155
On the whole, the results are negative, that is, there is no
evidence in favour of telepathy, though when H. was percipient,
rather more than the most probable number by chance of " cards "
and " numbers " were rightly guessed.
(D.) — Hypercesthesia of the sense of sight, the backs of the cards
being looked at. In some cases both Mrs. Verrall and H. looked at
the back of a card, in others Mrs. Verrall did so alone. Results : —
Percipient. No. of trials. Card right. Number right. Suit right.
H. ) ,qo 25 52 ' 145
Mrs. V. / 23 78 147
Mrs. V. 280 19 45 88
In this series the packs were often changed, and as on some
occasions cards were correctly guessed at their first appearance,
recognition of the backs, conscious or unconscious, cannot explain all
the cases. The impression of the guessers was that there was an
actual appearance of the backs which suggested the face of the card,
but it could not be determined whether this was really the case.
* (E.) Telesthesia, so called because the senses of the percipient were
used in the process of guessing, but the knowledge of the card
selected was in the mind of the agent. The experiment was similar
to some described by M. Roux in the Annales des Sciences Psychiques
for July, 1893. The agent selected a card from a small number —
thirteen — and the percipient, at a distance, with her back turned,
transferred thirteen similar cards from hand to hand till she had
an impulse to stop. When Mrs. Verrall was percipient she had no
success. H. as percipient guessed the card rightly 21 times in 150
trials ; the most probable number of correct guesses by chance being
11-5.
Towards the end of this series, Mrs. Verrall began to know when
H. had been successful, and recorded her impressions before H.'s
guess was made. Of 11 such recorded impressions, 9 were right.
Further, some cases of apparent experimental telepathy, with H.
as agent, were related ; a scene was thought of by the agenc, and
described or drawn by the percipient. Where the scene was vividly
realised by H., Mrs. Verrall seemed to have some success in
reproducing the outline, though without recognising the object drawn.
MR. F. W. H. MYERS remarked that the series in which Mrs.
Verrall, after first receiving her impressions in a vague, non-specialised
36 Dr. Hodgson. [MAR.— APR., isas.
manner, ultimately came to apprehend them in a quasi-visual
manner, seemed to confirm the view which explained many
apparitions as being essentially non-specialised impressions, which
took a sensory shape through the action of the percipient's own mind
upon them, that sensory shape being determined by the mode of
mental imagery most familiar to the percipient.
The vague satisfaction felt by Mrs. Verrall when an effort at
telepathic communication had succeeded, (although she had as yet no-
other knowledge of its success), resembled the satisfaction recorded in
some of our reciprocal cases, where the dying person becomes some-
how aware that he has succeeded in impressing a distant friend.
Miss M. H. MASON remarked that when performing telepathic
experiments of the same character, she also had felt a like inward
monition of success, when (as afterwards proved) the impression had
been correctly transmitted.
MR. H. G. RAWSON read a paper on " Experiments in Thought-
transference," which will be published in the forthcoming part of
the Proceedings.
A paper by Mr. C. HILL-TOUT, on " Some Psychical Phenomena
bearing on the question of Spirit Control," was taken as read, for want
of time.
THE VALUE OF THE EVIDENCE FOR SUPERNORMAL
PHENOMENA IN THE CASE OF EUSAPIA PALADINO.
BY RICHARD HODGSON, LL.D.
In thinking over the general subject of Human Testimony to super-
normal phenomena, it was forced 'upon me how little of really
intelligent criticism is passed upon our records by persons who do
not nevertheless accept our conclusions. From more or less
uninterested outsiders this course is not surprising. But the same
temper of mind which we find in outsiders is perl) aps not altogether
absent from our own interested members. The phenomena do not fit
with sundry preconceptions. But those of us who are trying to appraise
the evidence for all these supernormal phenomena for what it is worth,
no more and no less, — perhaps I ought to add certainly no more, as we
may be regarded as having a bias in the other direction, — must account
to ourselves for our own acceptance or rejection of certain testimony.
We must explain the testimony itself in a reasonable manner.
I propose now to examine the testimony offered for the alleged
supernormal phenomena occurring in the presence of Eusapia*
Paladino, — and chiefly the testimony offered by Professor Lodge* in
the Journal for November. In Vol. II. of the Journal I made an
analysis of a series of reports of sittings with Eglinton, and endeavoured
to show that, allowing such margins for misdescription in the accounts
* The Report is more or less joint, but Professor Lodge seems to have adopted the-
responsibility of it, in its present form at least.
MAR.— APR., 1895.] Evidence in Case of Eusapia Paladino. 37
as we were warranted by experience in supposing possible, the
phenomena which occurred in the presence of Eglinton could be
accounted for by ordinary means. How far can a similar analysis
according to certain estimates of testimony and principles of
application which were given us some years ago by a special investiga-
tion into phenomena of the kind before us, — how far, I say, can such
an analysis lead to a plausible explanation of the testimony offered for
Eusapia without supposing the occurrence of supernormal phenomena ?
That Professor Lodge holds such a strong conviction as to the
genuineness of these is in itself a highly significant fact, seeing that
his conclusions seem to rest for their validity on the continuous
observation employed by the witnesses, and in 1886 Professor Lodge
agreed with Gurney in considering that " conditions which do not
exclude the necessity for continuous close observation can never be
•completely satisfactory." (Journal S. P. B., Vol. II., p. 290). Not
having shared his personal experience, I must confine myself to the
inferences to be drawn from his printed account.
Proceeding to the description of the conditions of the experiments
as given in the Excerpts from the Detailed Notes, I begin with the
report of the first sitting. One of the first questions to be asked
concerns the adequacy of the box with pedals to prevent Eusapia's
using either of her feet. We are not told how much force was needed
to depress the pedals. It may have been possible for Eusapia to have
placed a weight or weights on the pedals adequate to keep the bell
from ringing. These weights may have been in the shape of a foot.
She may have had dummy feet padded with soft material and weighted
enough to depress the pedals to the required extent. This suggestion
of course leads to the mention of a precaution which perhaps it was
impossible to take under the circumstances. As we shall see later, the
possibility that Eusapia should have special apparatus about her person
should be excluded, or at least special precautions should be taken for
the purpose of excluding it. To this end it would be desirable that
•e.g., under the supervision of women she should remove her clothing
completely in one room and thence pass into another where she should
don clothing specially provided by her investigators. Even under these
conditions, except under very minute scrutiny, it would be difficult to
be certain that apparatus occupying very small space was not excluded,
but careful watching by several observers might prevent the conceal-
ment of any bulky apparatus such as a weighted dummy foot. I do
not think it probable that any such device, either a dummy foot, or a
weight attached to the leg, &c., was as a matter of fact used by Eusapia,
but there is nothing in the report which prevents the possibility of
such a supposition. There is no description at all in the report about
the circumstances connected with Eusapia's taking her place, nothing
said, e.g., as to whether she did or did not stoop down, ostensibly for
the purpose of arranging her dress, but really for the purpose of
wedging a pedal so that it would not rise when she lifted her foot.
The next point to notice is that we are not told how Eusapia's
hands were held. How the sitters "joined hands round " is im-
38 Dr. Hodgson. [MAR.-APR..1895.
material for my present purpose, as I do not entertain the hypothesis
that one of the sitters was fraudulent. But precisely how Eusapia's
hands were held on the occasion of each and every phenomenon is of
course of the utmost importance. No description is given of the dress
of the medium, beyond the fact that it was black, the most suitable
colour for trick performances where so much darkness prevailed. We
are not told what sort of sleeves she wore or whether it was impossible
for her to use a well-known conjuring device attached to the forearm
or wrist and used for lifting tables. She might have worn straps on
her shoulders or upper arms, with hooks or other forms of clip append-
ages which she might have attached unnoticed to the table. The
end of it, when not in actual use, might have been concealed in her
dress-front. She may have had mechanisms attached to other portions
of her body. Less than a year ago I became acquainted with a simple
piece of apparatus made for the production of raps, and which was
new to me. It is worked by moving the knees apart, the feet and
hands remaining stationary. It seems to me possible that a variation
of this might be made which could be worked by some of the body
muscles or shoulder muscles or even the thigh muscles, and be utilised
in lifting. The result of the knee movement in the piece of apparatus
referred to above is to cause the projection of a steel rod which on the
reversal of the original movement is drawn back by a rubber band.
For the steel rod substitute a folded umbrella-like or other expansible
object, and with a little adaptation you could have apiece of apparatus
which might, so far as the verbal description in the report goes, account
for the " protuberances or gonflements " witnessed near Eusapia's left
leg. Moreover, the apparatus occupies little room, and might be
concealed between the stocking and the leg and not suspected by a
searcher unless the stocking were removed. The supposition of such
an instrument, however, is probably far from necessary. It is not
indicated whether Professor Lodge could see the whole of Eusapia's
feet. The reader may think that this is intended, but if so it should
have been specifically expressed. Eusapia may have kept pressure on
the pedal with the toe of her left foot, and raised her heel to the esti-
mated height of " about twelve inches " from the floor. I suppose
that the pedal upon which her foot rested must have been raised some-
what from the floor. When Professor Lodge speaks of both her feet
as being " distinctly visible on the machine," does he mean that he
could distinctly see the stockinged foot, the whole flat of it resting on
the pedal, — or does he mean that he could see the toe part projecting
beyond the edge of Eusapia's dress ? In connexion with this point I
may quote Professor Richet's remarks on what he observed during his
first and second stances with Eusapia :
" J'e'tais a gauche d'Eusapia ; je tenais sa main gauche ; je tenais avec
le pied son pied, ou ses pieds, et je voyais meme depasser les deux bouts
des bottines d'Eusapia par-dessous sa robe. Or, quoique je visse nettement
les bouts de ses bottines, quoique j'eusse la main gauche a plat sur ses
genoux immobiles, je voyais (ou je croyais voir) la robe d'Eusapia se gonfler,
comme pour se diriger vers le pied gauche de la table, place fort en arriere
MAR.-APR., 1895.] Evidence in Case of Eusapia Paladino. 39
des genoux et des pieds d'Eusapia. II semble que, dans les mouvements
d'oscillation preliminaires de la table, d'une part la table eut cherch4 a se
rapprocher de la robe, d'autre part la robe en se gonflant eut cherche a se
rapprocher du pied de la table, de maniere a 1'entourer d'ombre.
"A quelques jours de la, je parlai de ce phenomene a M. Chiaia, qui me
dit que c'etait par ce gonflement dela robe, toujours constate* par lui, que
se faisait le soulevement du quatrieme pied de la table. Je mentionne le
fait sans y insister ; car il est trop etrange pour que 1'observation super-
ficielle que j'en ai faite puisse compter." — Annales des Sciences Psychiques
(Jan. -Feb., 1893, p. 9).
After reference to the raps and tilts and change of position of
sitters we learn : —
"The machine was now soon dispensed with. L. held the left hand
of E. and had one of her feet on his. M. held the other hand and foot
similarly ; and they continually kept each other informed as to the security
of each. E. had no shoes on, and M. and L. had 011 soft slippers so that
they could be sure of really feeling feet. There was often a twitching of her
body and spasmodic jerking of her fingers, but never sufficient to cause loss
of control. The lamp was lowered.
" 10.21. — The first distinctly abnormal occurrence took place now, when
everything was under perfect control as stated. M. was touched lightly on
the back several times."
Firstly, as to the feet. I venture to think that the precautions as
described were entirely insufficient. Professor Lodge may have satisfied
himself by experiments that he could not have been deceived by the
substitution of a dummy foot, or by the pressure of Eusapia's right
foot at the same time pressing on M.'s slippered foot. Has Professor
Lodge made such experiments 1 If so, he ought to have mentioned the
fact. If not, ought he to be " sure of really feeling feet," especially as
Eusapia's body was apparently very far from still 1
Professor Richet writes concerning a different experience : —
' ' D'abord notons que, pendant toute la duree de 1'expe'rience, chacun
des assistants voisins tient un pied ou un des pieds d'Eusapia tantot
au-dessus, tantot au-dessous de son pied : par consequent, elle ne peut
mouvoir les pieds, e"tant ainsi assujettie par les pieds de ses voisins.
" Toutefois, il faut bien le reconnaitre, cette surveillance est plus ou
moins illusiore ; car a travers la semelle de nos souliers, il nous est im-
possible de savoir exactement quel pied nous tenons sous le notre : est-ce
le pied droit d'Eusapia ? est-ce son pied gauche ? et nous ne pouvons
absolument pas savoir s'il n'y a pas eu substitution un peu avant le moment
ou la table s'est soulev^e ; puis, quand le soulevement de la table a eu lieu,
le pied d'Eusapia serait revenu a sa place.
" Je le re"pete, le controle des pieds d'Eusapia maintenus par les pieds
des assistants est un controle illusiore.
" J'ai voulu alors, dans une autre experience, procdder autrement, et,
apres avoir propose" de maintenir les pieds d'Eusapia avec mon pied
deehausse, j'ai finalement essay e* de lui tenir les deux pieds avec ma main."
— Annales des Sciences Psychiques, Jan. -Feb., 1893, p. 6.
Now although Eusapia in Professor Lodge's experiment was in
stockinged feet, and Professor Lodge and Mr. Myers had only soft
slippers, I think Professor Richet's judgment still applies to their
experience. The circumstances by no means involve a " perfect control "
40 Dr. Hodgson. [MAR.— ApR.,i895.
of the feet. Any phenomena that occurred under the above conditions
and that could be accounted for on the supposition that at least one of
Eusapia's feet was free, could certainly, in my opinion, not lay any
claim to be supernormal.
Now for the " perfect control " of the hands. It is to be presumed
that L.'s left hand was joined to R.'s right hand, and that L. was not
holding Eusapia's left hand with both of his hands. He was holding her
left hand in some way or other with his right ; and M. was holding her
right hand in some way or other with his left. But in what precisely
particular way was each of these persons holding the hand assigned to
his care ? When the Report says " M. held the other hand and foot
similarly," I don't suppose that the word similarly is intended to indi-
cate that M. was holding E.'s right hand in the same way that L. was
holding her left. In any case we are not informed in detail how either
of Eusapia's hands was actually held. This omission appears to me
to be of the very gravest nature. And for the following reasons : —
The only other reports about Eusapia which I have seen are those of
the Milan Commission and Professor Richet (Annales des Sciences
Psychiques, January — February, 1893) and Dr. Carl du Prel
(Psychische Studien for December 1892). In all these reports the
hands of Eusapia are described as being " held," but in each one of them
there is some reference to the difficulty of " holding " them during the
" spasmodic " movements of the medium. I quote the following : —
"Tous ceux qui nient la possibility des phenomenes m^dianimiques
essaient d'expliquer ces faits en supposant que le medium a la faculte" (declaree
impossible par le professeur Richet) de voir dans 1'obscurite complete ou.
se faisaient les experiences, et que celui-ci, par un habile artifice, en s'agitant
de mille manieres dans 1'obscurite, finit par faire tenir la meme main par ses
deux voisins, en rendant 1'autre libre pour produire les attouchements, etc.
Ceux d'entre nous qui ont eu Foccasion d'avoir en garde les mains d'Eusapia
sont obliges d'avouer que celle-ci ne se prfetait assurdment pas k faciliter
leur surveillance et k les rendre k tout instant surs de leur fait.
' ' Au moment ou allait se produire quelque phe"nomene important, elle
commencait a s'agiter de tout son corps, se tordant et essayant de delivrer
ses mains, surtout la droite, comme d'un contact genant. Pour rendre leur
surveillance continue, ses voisins etaient obliges de suivre tous les mou-
vements de la main fugitive, operation pendant laquelle il n'^tait pas rare
de perdre son contact pendant quelques instants, juste au moment ou il
4taitle plus desirable de s'en bien assurer. II n'e"tait pas tou jours facile de
savoir si 1'on tenait la main droite ou la main gauche du medium. — Annales
des Sciences Psychiques, pp. 52 — 53.
"Dans les experiences, Eusapia n'a pas en ge'ne'ral, la main tenue de la
meme mam'ere a droite et k gauche. D'un cote, on lui tient fortement le
poignet et la main ; de 1'autre cote, au lieu d'avoir la main tenue par le
voisin, elle se contente de poser sa main sur la main du voisin, mais de la
poser avec tous ses doigts, de maniere qu'on puisse sentir tres distinctement
si 1'on tient la main gauche ou droite.
" Voici alors ce qui se passe : Au moment ou va commencer le
ph&iomene, cette main qui n'est pas tenue par le voisin, mais se pose sur sa
main (je suppose qu'il s'agisse, pour simplifier, de la main droite d'Eusapia,
quoiqu'elle opere ainsi tantot k droite, tantot k gauche), cette main devient
tres mobile, presque insaisissable : k chaque instant elle se d^place, et
MAR.— APR., 1895.] Evidence in Caw of Eusapia Paladino. 41
pendant une fraction minuscule de seconde on ne la sent plus ; puis 011 la
sent de nouveau, et on peut constater que c'est toujours la main droite.
' ' Alors il peut arriver ceci : c'est que pendant cette fraction de seconde
la main droite d'Eusapia est devenue libre et a su se porter a droite ou a
gauche, toucher la tete, la figure, le cou d'un des assistants. En outre, la
main gauche, tenue au poignet, peut s'appliquer sur le dos de la main de
1'assistant de droite, qui continue a croire qu'il tient la main droite, alors
qu'en re"alite il est touche par la main gauche d'Eusapia, qui a alors sa main
droite oarfaitement libre.
" De meme que tout a Fheure, en parlant de la table souleve"e, j'etais
arrive" a la conviction que le seul true possible etait le soulevement de la
table par le pied d'Eusapia, de meme, pour le contact senti d'une main
humaine, le seul true possible c'est qu'Eusapia degage une de ses mains et
touche les assistants avec cette main devenue libre, pendant que les deux
voisins croiront 1'un et 1'autre toucher une main diffe"rente d'Eusapia. S'il
y a un true employe", je n'en congois pas d'autre, et il me paralt inutile de
discuter toute autre hypothese, celle d'un compere parmi les assistants ou
d'un autre individu s'introduisant dans la chambre.
"Avant d'entrer dans le detail des experiences memes, il faut mentionner
encore une remarque que M. Chiaia nous a faite : c'est que souvent la main
qui touche 1'epaule ou la joue d'un des assistants est la main d'Eusapia elle-
meme. Cependant il y aurait aussi materialisation d'une main ; car la main
d'Eusapia est devenue libre, parce que la main (de John) materialise"e s'est
mise sur la main du voisin d'Eusapia, et a pris la place de la main d'Eusapia.
Je m'abstiens ici de juger cette interpretation : je me contente de la
rapporter, telle qu'elle m'a ete donne"e par M. Chiaia." — Annales des Sciences
Psychiques, pp. 14 — 15.
" Jamais il n'y a eu contact senti d'une main alors que les deux mains
d'Eusapia etaient en vue toutes les deux : il a toujours fallu que 1'obscurite
fut complete ou que les deux mains fussent cache"es sous la table." — Annales
des Sciences Psychiques, p. 18.
"Une des mains d'Eusapia, au lieu d'etre saisie fortement et immobilise"e,
repose 14gerement sur le dos de la main de son voisin ; et elle se deplace
sans cesse, ce qui rend la distinction (entre la main droite et la main gauche)
singulierement difficile." — Annales des Sciences Psychiques, p. 19.
" Mais de meme je ne dois pas negliger de dire que jamais il n'y a en de
main sentie, quand les deux mains d'Eusapia etaient en pleine lumiere, OH
tenues toutes deux par un fil, ou tenues par la meme personnel' — A nnale^tw £ /
Sciences Psychiques, p. 20. jjX^y? t
"A la cinquieme stance, nous eiimes aussi 1'apparition d'une main."'; niais
les conditions etaient moins rigoureuses. Je tenais la main droite d'EusanU,
et je ne suis pas du tout sur de 1'avoir bien tenue. ' ,
"De plus la main que nous vimes etait tout a fait analogue a la WW
d'Eusapia, bien diffe"rente de la main que nous avions vue la veille.
" Cela contirmerait peut-£tre 1'opinion de M. Chiaia, opinion fonde"e sur
une longue experience du medium, que, dans certains cas, la main qui
touche et qui apparait, c'est la main veritable d'Eusapia, tandis que la main
•qui est tenue par les assistants qui controlent, c'est la main materialisee de
.John." — Annales des Sciences Psychiques, p. 22.
It appears also from these reports that an Italian gentleman, Torelli,
has written certain articles in which he maintains that Eusapia gets
•one hand free and uses it for the production of spurious phenomena,
making the other hand do duty for two.
It was therefore of the utmost importance that the guarding of
Eusapia's hands should be very specially considered, — and that the
42 Dr. Hodgson. [MAR.-APR., isas,
fullest possible details concerning the management of her hands by the
adjoining sitters should be given in the report. This omission then
is a very serious one, and suggests that there may be other very
important omissions about which we are left to speculate. Professor
Lodge may say to this :
" Such criticism is child's play ! I was familiar with the articles to-
which you refer ; Myers and myself had discussed this very point ad
nauseam with each other and Richet, and we were fully alive to all
that you suggest. We knew all about the variations of the old trick
of making one hand do duty for two. I have often in the darkness-
made a witness believe he felt the continuous contact of both my
hands at a time when really only one of my hands was in contact with
his, — and under these circumstances I have encircled round his arm a
closed ring that was previously lying on an adjoining table. This and
similar dodges were perfectly well known to us, and you may be
assured that nothing of that sort happened during our experiments-
with Eusapia."
If such be Professor Lodge's reply, I have no hesitation in saying
that he has forsaken the scientific method. His record amounts in that
case to the mere giving of his personal opinion, and with all due
respect to Professor Lodge's achievements in other branches of
investigation, I have no reason for thinking that he is an expert in
dealing with fraudulent mediums. Even if Professor Lodge is such an
expert, what we want to get is the exact description, as far as possible,
of the conditions under which the alleged supernormal events occurred,
and we should then be compelled to allow, under circumstances like
those prevailing at Eusapia's performances, a liberal margin for mis-
description. Professor Lodge most assuredly is not giving us a detailed
record of the most important of these conditions. Yet this, I take
it, is what we are after. As Professor Richet says :
" Meme si un savant illustre me venait raconter ces faits, je ne me
contenterais pas de son affirmation, et je voudrais connaitre les proce'de's-
adopte"s par lui dans ses experiences." — Annales des Sciences Psychiques, p. 28,
In his introduction Professor Lodge writes (Journal S.P.R.,
November, p. 315) : —
" Usually the sitter on her right holds her right hand, and the sitter on
her left holds her left, the whole forearm being frequently held as well as
the hand. All this precautionary holding is entirely acquiesced in by the
medium ; and before anything striking occurs she usually calls attention to
the position of each hand and foot separately, and frequently places her
head in contact with one or other of the sitters, so that its locality may be
known too. The sitters were well aware of the necessity for secure holding
of the medium's genuine hands and feet, and continually called out to each
other as to the security or otherwise of that portion of the body of the
medium which they had in trust."
These statements obviously do not help us as regards the details of
any particular experiment, and I look in vain through Excerpti
from the Detailed Notes without finding any detailed description of the
most important point of all in the whole series of experiments.
MAR. -APR., 1895.] Evidence in Case of Eusapia Paladino. 43
Let us take an. illustration from another subject. Suppose the
question to be whether we can get hot ice, and let us suppose that I
have written a paper describing an experiment where I think I have
obtained hot ice. I describe my bottle and my tube, my production of
a vacuum in the tube, my heating apparatus, etc., etc., and go on to
say that I formed some ice in the vacuum, turned my gas flames on to the
tube containing it, and that the thermometer registering the temperature
of the ice rose above the boiling point of water. I give a list of various
high temperatures read from the thermometer, and Professor Lodge
finds in my paper a statement by me that without doubt these figures-
represent the temperature of the ice, but he is not vouchsafed any
information as to the precise relations between the ice and the
thermometer bulb. Let us suppose further that previous experimenters
had also claimed to have obtained hot ice under conditions which we
may describe as generally similar to those mentioned in my imaginary
paper, but that over and over again it had been demonstrated (to
Professor Lodge's satisfaction at least) that not sufficient care had been
taken to embed the bulb in the ice originally or to prevent the bulb's
being denuded of the ice in one place or another, even though originally
embedded in the ice, — and that hence the experiments were regarded as-
worthless Suppose further yet that Professor Lodge ascertains from
the accounts of previous experimenters from whom I obtained the very
identical apparatus which I employed, that, owing to some peculiarity
in the apparatus, they were unable to completely embed the bulb in the
ice to begin with, or the bulb was habitually denuded at times before the
temperature rose, etc. He looks in my paper for the details of my
method of embedding the bulb in the ice, for the observations which I
took to assure myself that there was never any denudation when the
thermometer rose above Zero, and he finds nothing whatsoever about
these points ; the most he can find is a frequent statement that the
bulb was in contact with the ice. I venture to think that the omissions
from my imaginary paper are comparable with those which I find in
Professor Lodge's report concerning the details of holding. And I may
add further that in Eusapia's case the investigator must assume that
he is dealing with an acute person who has had much experience in
trickery, and who is doing her utmost to deceive him on the very point
in question. This is a special difficulty which the investigator in the
ordinary physical sciences is not accustomed to reckon with, and I
cannot but think that Professor Lodge has not allowed enough for this
factor of wilful deception in the subject of his experiments.
It is to be inferred from Professor Richet's statements that, at the
sittings which he reported, it was customary for one of Eusapia's hands-
to form contact by resting on the hand of the adjacent sitters. She
did not allow, apparently, both hands to be seized by the sitters. Now
if, in Professor Lodge's experiments, Eusapia did allow this kind of
holding to be applied to both hands, there ought to have been, in
Professor Lodge's account, a very full and explicit mention of that fact.
Since there is no mention of it, we are justified in inferring that the
kind of holding to which she was subjected by Professor Lodge was of
44 Dr. Hodgson. [MAR.— APR , 1395.
the kind described by Professor Richet. It will be seen that each of
Eusapia's feet is described as " held " when she has it on a foot of a
sitter. And I suppose that her hand may also be described as " held "
when she has it on the hand of a sitter.
In the absence, then, of carefully described conditions of holding
such as would absolutely prevent Eusapia's getting one hand free, we
are justified in assuming that she did get one hand free, in which case
many of the supposed supernormal occurrences at the sitting can
obviously be accounted for by ordinary means. The objects which
were heard or felt to move, &c., may have been objects within reach of
the medium in the room, including possibly articles which she had con-
cealed about her person. Objects not originally within reach of her
arm may have been hooked to within her reach by some simple con-
trivance also concealed about her person. And we must not forget
that Eusapia may be supposed sometimes to have a leg free as well as
an arm. Thus under 10.21 — " M. was touched lightly on the back
several times," Under 10.24 — "M. was again touched distinctly in
the back." Now we are at liberty to suppose, e.g., that on one of these
occasions M. may have been touched by Eusapia's hand, and on the
other occasion by her foot, or by an instrument held in Eusapia's mouth.
I need not specify in detail the occurrences which I suppose can be
accounted for by the use of Eusapia's freed arm or foot, or mouth
when this was not guarded. Incidents which appear to demand some
other hypothesis, or to need comment for other reasons) I will consider
specially.
I pass on to other details of the report.
Under 10.30 we read : " Both E.'s feet were now firmly held by
M." Under 10.51 we read : " While L. held head and both hands, and
M. held both feet." Again, what were the details of these holdings ?
Under 11.2 the movement of the large table was mentioned, but
there is nothing to show its exact distance from Eusapia.
Under 10.49 we read: "Nearly dark again." Under 10.51 we
learn that : " L. held head and both hands, and M. held both feet."
Under 11.2 we read, " Hands and feet well held." Under 11.9 we
read, " hands and feet held all the time." Under 11.10 it appears
that Eusapia's fingers " were being held constantly in the hand of M."
No mention is made of when and under what circumstances M. re-
sumed his " holding " of a hand.
Under 11.14 we read : " Hands being held all round, the large
table approached, answered questions by tilts, and rose entirely in the
air, being dimly visible to O. It was entirely untouched." Are we to
accept the statement that this table rose entirely in the air on the
ground that — in the dim light which prevailed — O. thought that he
saw it do so ? What precautions were taken to prove that it was
" entirely untouched ? " This is doubtless an inference from the
supposed " complete control " of Eusapia's person. I see no difficulty
at all in the supposition that Eusapia herself moved the table, turned
it over, and exhibited the " faint lights," and that she also made the
blue scrawl on the table. After, we will suppose, having made this
M.VR.-APR., 1895.] Evidence ^n Case of Eusapia Paladino. 45
scrawl, — made, perhaps, while the table was on its side, — she " an-
nounced that ' John ' would write and asked which table it should
be on."
The sitters were hardly likely to choose the small table at which
they were sitting. The choice was then restricted to the large table
and the round table. There may of course have been a mark
previously made by Eusapia on the round table to cover the emer-
gency. None of the sitters apparently thought of examining it
afterwards. Or, if the round table had been chosen it might have
been too faraway from Eusapia for the " control " to act. The round
table did not begin to move until at a later period in the sitting, after
the small table had been moved much nearer to it, and Eusapia was
also, as I understand the account, at that end of the small table which
was nearest to the round table.
Further, some one may have suggested the round table and the
suggestion may have been negatived by Eusapia, although no mention
of this appears in the report. Mistakes of this kind are demonstrably
made in reports of events such as we are considering. (Journal
S. P. R., Vol. II., pp. 420-1.)
" R. selected large table, and asked for cross in red. E. said
doubtful, and drew with M.'s finger on R.'s hand an irregular figure
feeling like a circle with a knot attached." This was under 11.43.
Under 12.4 we read : " M. and L. each holding one of E.'s hands
firmly in the air, R.'s hand was strongly grasped and held as by a
hand while 31 was counted."
Once more, how was this holding ?
Further, were the " hands " held in the air at the suggestion
of Eusapia (or the " control ") ? It is to be inferred that R.'s hand
was not " grasped and held as by a hand " until after Eusapia's
" hands " were held in the air. I suppose, of course, that M. and L.
were " holding " to one and the same hand of Eusapia, and the raising
of this in the air might have made it easier for Eusapia to reach for-
ward with the other hand and grasp Richet, returning it to the
" holding " as soon as she felt that the " holders " were beginning to
explore too much.
Later on we come to the examination of the large table :
' ' A light was now struck, and the under surface of table (now turned
upwards), was examined for marks. Nothing was found
except joiners' lines which had been there before. The table
was now half raised, so that its legs were horizontal, and its
upper surface shewed at once a large blue scrawl of this
shape.
" No cross was found [such as had been asked for above].
"There was now full light and the stance was understood to have stopped.
But E. asked for a blue pencil, and when one was found and given her
she proceeded to cover the tip of her fore-finger with blue chalk. She then
gave this finger to R. to hold, and with it extended she walked up to the
vertically-standing top surface of the large table, and made near, but not
touching it, a couple of quick cross marks in the air. The blue had then
disappeared from hor finger, and two large blue crosses, sharply drawn, not
46 Dr. Hodgson. >UR.— APR., 1395.
as with finger tip, were found at the back or far side of the table, viz., on
one of the sideboards of the under side which had been just previously
examined for such marks. There was no fresh mark on the surface in front
of which she had made the gestures."
The explanation of the " two large blue crosses " incident is simple
enough. These tricks remind me of the figures Mr. Davey used to
draw on his slate under the eyes of the sitters, (vid. Proc. S. P. R.,
Vol. VIII. pp. 274-275.)
In the interim, perhaps when the sitters were gazing at the
mysterious scrawl on the upper surface of the table, Eusapia made the
crosses on the other side. After having covered the tip of her forefinger
with the blue chalk she rubbed it off by a quick movement, possibly
against her dress (a spot on which she may have just moistened for
the purpose) and either before or after giving her finger to R. to hold.
She may even have chalked the tip of one finger and given another
finger to R. to hold. Here again, we are not told any details 'of the
holding. The evidence is far from good enough to show that she
actually did cover the tip of her forefinger (we are not told whether it
was believed to be the right or the left forefinger) with chalk, whether
this tip was still seen to be covered with chalk immediately prior to her
making the cross marks in the air — whether it was found to be free from
chalk immediately after the making of those cross marks and before
release of her finger by R. — whether her finger was held by R. so that
she could not have rubbed the chalk off by ordinary means during that
brief interval.
The blue crosses were found " on one of the sideboards of the
under side which had been just previously examined for such marks."
Now I shall assume that the " just previously examined" refers to the
search which had been made on the under surface of the table before
the upper surface was examined. Since that search of the under surface
the upper surface was examined and the blue scrawl found, and doubt-
less a certain amount of attention was given to this scrawl by all the
sitters, none of whom I suppose was watching Eusapia and taking care
that she should not approach the table. Again, we find the
expressions " a light was now struck " and (later on) " There was
now full light." Probably after the finding of the scrawl more light
was added to the light that was struck. Anyway " the seance was
understood to have stopped," and probably a few minutes at least
elapsed after the examination of the under surface of the table, before
" E. asked for a blue pencil," and as there is no specific statement
about any but the original examination of the under surface of the
table, and not a word about any observation kept on the movements
of Eusapia during this interval which I suppose to be of at least a few
minutes, it can hardly be maintained that Eusapia did not make the
crosses herself surreptitiously by ordinary means. The whole incident
seems to me to be eminently suggestive of a trick. So also does the
" scrawl " incident ; and I draw special attention to them although the
reporters apparently do not wish to put them forward as having much
evidential value.
MAR.- APR., 1895.] Evidence in Case of Eusapia Paladino. 47
No claim seems to be made that the other objects that were moved
after the resumption of the stance were beyond Eusapia's reach. The
•" saucer containing small shot " is said parenthetically to be " from
another part of the room," but we are not told how far away it had
been, and, moreover, even if it had been at the remotest point of the
room from Eusapia at the beginning of the seance, she may have
moved it nearer surreptitiously during the interim between the two
divisions of the seance.
The other incident that needs special mention is the last, viz : —
"During the latter half of the sitting, E. had taken one of M.'s fingers
.and drawn some scrawls with it outside R. 's flannel jacket, which was
buttoned up to his neck. M. said : ' She is using me to write on you,' and
it was thought no more of. But after the stance, when undressing, R.
found on his shirt front, underneath both flannel jacket and high white
-waistcoat, a clear blue scrawl, and came at once to bedrooms to show it."
This scrawl might of course have been made by Eusapia surrepti-
tiously on the shirt front at a previous time when Richet was not wearing
it, and he may not have noticed it when he put the shirt on. Or she
may have made it while professing to use M.'s fingers, and pressing
them against Richet's jacket she may have slipped a finger of her own
between the buttons of his jacket and of his waistcoat if we are to
assume that his waistcoat also was buttoned, and made the scrawl then.
( )r, as I think more probable, she may have made the scrawl a little
earlier. The overt incident is said to have occurred " during the latter
half of the sitting," and R. was apparently in close proximity to
Eusapia during most of this time, — " holding " both of E.'s arms and
one hand, or both knees and one hand, or head and right hand, or
head and body. And if we remember pickpockets, and E.'s spasmodic
movements, we shall hardly see any difficulty in the supposition that
E. found an opportunity to make the scrawl without R.'s knowledge.
The accounts of the remaining sittings are unfortunately still less
detailed than that of the first, and there is therefore more room for
conjecture as to the real series of events. It is to be regretted that
Professor Lodge did not give us also a more detailed account of the
circumstances when Eusapia was " probably experimenting in her way
on whether she too cannot do the things she has heard talked about
for years." (Journal S. P. R. for November, p. 323).
Incidents regarded by Professor Lodge as of little importance or
too trivial to be mentioned might convey to others clear indications of
Eusapia's modi operandi. And when I read that " Eusapia herself in
her ordinary state is not averse to exhibiting things which she seems
to consider just as good as those which are accomplished while she is
unconscious," I look for something more about these things than is con-
tained in the illustration given in the next paragraph :
" One afternoon she began, with me alone, to jig a table about and cause
liquid in a jar to shake ; others came in and took part in the procedure, and
presently the light table was lifted for an instant from the floor ; but the
whole thing was wearisome and quite unlike the genuine phenomenon. The
movements were such as anyone could produce, and a momentary raising of
48 Dr. Hodgson. [MAR.— APR.,1895.
the table could be effected in her then position without serious difficulty." —
S.P.R. for November, pp. 322—3.
On such occasions as these Eusapia may be " in bad form" or " off
her guard," and a full knowledge of her " tricks " at these times may
lead up to a full knowledge of her tricks at other times when they are
harder to detect. Or she may have acted clumsily on purpose, just to
show the investigators how little she could accomplish herself.
I may here say a few words about the method of drawing up the
report (Journal for November, pp. 307, 336-7.) It appears that it was
Professor Richet who generally dictated to the note-taker outside,
but sometimes it was one of the other sitters. We are not told
whether any details about circumstances that appeared suspicious at
the time were dictated in this way. Perhaps not. In any case it
was of course wise to have some record, even if only a skeleton outline,
so to speak, of the series of events occurring at the sitting. This con-
temporaneous record was doubtless of great service in excluding some
kinds of error from the final report. But starting from this as a basis, I
should like to have seen complete records of all these sittings drawn up
by all the sitters independently, before they made comparisons with
each other as to what actually occurred, — and alongside of these reports
I should like to have a copy of the original notes themselves as taken
down at the time from dictation. It will be remembered that when
different independent accounts were given of Eglinton's performances,
there were striking discrepancies in the accounts, — a circumstance of
essential importance for the trick being sometimes found mentioned in
one account though absent from the other. (Journal S.P.R., Vol. II.,
pp. 417 et seq., 461 et seq.) And of course it may well be further that
what one of the sitters dictated during the sitting might be in conflict
with the impressions of another sitter. Quot homines, tot sententice,
even in the records of direct observation.
Turning now to the details given of the Second Sitting we find
that " a selection of the events only is quoted," and the accounts of
these are very meagre, I mean the accounts of what is important.
The electric apparatus is referred to again, and I may add here that
it would be desirable to have some detailed considerations from Pro-
fessor Lodge about the possibility or otherwise of Eusapia's keeping
one or other or both of these pedals depressed in some other way than
by her feet. For all that I know, a tack or a wedge that might be
placed by the fingers might have served the purpose. Whether such a
supposition is absurd or not I have no means of determining from any-
thing that appears in the report.
We are told that Eusapia's hands '• were wide apart and held quite
distinctly, the left by L. and the right by M." from which I suppose it
would be an injustice to infer that on various other occasions of " hold-
ing " they were not wide apart and were not held quite distinctly. Be
that as it may, in the absence of any details of "holding," I shall
assume that Eusapia got one hand free. Various kinds of spasmodic
movements of Eusapia probably occurred, twitchings of her body,
MAR. -APR., 1895.] Evidence in Case of Eusapia Paladino. 49
&c., during which it may have been quite easy for her to get one hand
free occasionally. Sometimes her " hands " may have been " wide
apart," sometimes not, — and the sitters might easily make mistakes as
to the precise moments when they were " wide apart."
When " a couple of loud claps, as of free hands in the air, were
heard," I suppose that Eusapia was slapping her cheek or her fore-
head or some other part of her body with her freed hand. This is an
old " mediumistic " trick, in one of the forms of which the "proof"
that the medium had both hands engaged was regarded as established
by the continual sound (as) of her clapping of hands together.
Here, as in the previous sitting, I need not specify all the events
which I suppose can be accounted for by the action of mouth, &c., or
freed hand or foot of the medium, where the precise details of the
" holding " of these are not given, and we can suppose that Eusapia
might have made one hand or foot do duty for two, and where she
might have used a dummy hand or foot. Any events which may seem
to present a special difficulty I shall refer to particularly. "L.'s head
was now seized and forcibly squeezed and shaken, as if by two strong
hands or stumps." The paragraph in which this sentence occurs is
more or less obscure as to how much was seen by the witnesses. Shortly
after the above sentence we learn that " Eusapia's hands were well
held, and the position of her head and mouth observed " — from
which I infer that her head was seen more or less dimly. But
it might well be that this " position " was not seen at this stage of the
performance, but at a later stage, — suggesting a kind of error in re-
cording of which there are examples in the reports of sittings with
Mr. Davey. The double pressure on L.'s head may have been produced
by Eusapia's one hand and elbow or by the fingers separated from the
thumb part of the hand so that the palm did not touch the top of his
head, — or by a special forceps-like instrument which may have been
serviceable for elongating Eusapia's reach towards other objects.
I presume that the chdlet could be wound up with one hand, and I
suppose that if necessary Eusapia could have held the chdlet as a
whole still, for the purpose of winding, by the pressure of some other
part of her body.
" R. held head and left hand and left foot of E " I wonder how ! —
Was the chain of hands complete round the circle 1
The next incident that needs special mention is the raising of the
square table. (Even supposing that Eusapia's hands were properly
held, the " strong slap on the back " which M. felt might have come
from Eusapia's foot.)
Professor Lodge makes the following statement about the raising of
the table : —
"It appears to me impossible for any person to lift a table of this size
and weight while standing up to it, with hands only on top, without plenty
of leg action, and considerable strength and pressure of hands. It was
quite beyond any normal power of Eusapia."
Now let us suppose that Eusapia used a form of support which
with some variation or other, I fancy is not altogether unknown in
50 Dr. Hodgson. [MAR.— APR., 1395.
the Italian race. Let us suppose that she had, next to her body, a
light strong band round her shoulders and across her chest, with a
pendant attached of a black band or cord with a hook or other catch at
the end which could be tucked out of sight in her dress front when not
in use. (By the way, in a photograph which I have seen of Eusapia
at a sitting, when a table is supposed to be completely off the floor, one
of the buttons of the bosotn of her dress seems to be unfastened.)
She affixed this catch, — either stooping or bending her legs slightly
outward, — to one of the " sideboards " of the table or to some point in
the neighbourhood of the junctures of, e.g., sideboards and top of table.
She straightened herself out, stiffened her shoulders and her body back,
— and pushed forward with her foot against the leg of the table close to
which she was standing. The light touch of one of her hands may have
helped to steady the table, — the edge of which may also have been in
contact with her body. Was this hypothesis or any kindred hypothesis
tested by Professor Lodge ? Was any precaution taken by Professor
Lodge to prevent the use of any such simple apparatus or to detect its
existence ? I have not such a table at hand as that used, and cannot
therefore make experiments just now. But the various possibilities of
raising such tables ought to have been considered in detail by Professor
Lodge. Perhaps however I am doing him an injustice, and he has con-
sidered the above and allied hypotheses, but if so, I maintain that he
ought to have discussed them in his report, somewhere or other ; that
he has not done so suggests that he has overlooked them.
We come now to the Third Sitting.
The diagram in illustration at the beginning of this is evidently
not intended to be drawn to scale, so that I cannot infer anything as
to the exact measurements from point to point.
We are told that the lowest point of the chdlet was five feet from
the floor. This, I take it, since Professor Lodge is accustomed to
exact scientific experiment, and did not use the phrase " about five
feet, "means that he measured the distance, — arid perhaps purposely
arranged that the lowest point of the chalet was just five feet from
the floor by careful measurement. He tells us that it hung at a
distance " distinctly beyond Eusapia's normal reach ; at least two feet
beyond." Now I should like to know the precise measurements by
which Professor Lodge ascertained this, when these measurements
were made, how Eusapia was sitting (or standing) at the time, and so
forth. After he made these measurements, the small table and
Eusapia's chair may have been moved considerably nearer the chalet,
so that what was beyond Eusapia's "normal reach " at the beginning
of the sitting may have been well within her " normal reach " when
the chalet was first disturbed. The report of this sitting, like the
reports of the two preceding sittings, gives accounts of events in a
genera! way which have no interest whatever unless we know more in
detail about the conditions under which they occurred.
We are told about an " uncertain " experiment with " halma men "
MAR.— APR., lags.] Evidence in Case of Eusapia, Paladino. 51
without learning who suggested the "experiment." Similarly for the
" production of scent." Later on we read : —
" He also let one of his hands be held by Eusapia's two hands, feeling
down her sleeves and having a light struck to assure himself that the holding
was correctly felt, and under these conditions a distinct hand was applied to
his right arm, and when he put his free (i.e., Ochorowicz-holdiiig) hand to
the place it was gripped momentarily too, giving a clear feeling of nails and
of thumb and fingers."
We are not told how Eusapia held him ; nothing is said of the
possibilities of a false sleeve ; nor are we told at what part of his
right arm he felt the " distinct hand." We need not even infer that it
was Professor Lodge who asked to have a light struck " to assure him-
self that the holding was correctly felt." It may have been Eusapia who
suggested this, and who nevertheless afterwards got one hand free. I
commented {long ago (Journal S. P. R., Vol. II., p. 418, et seq.),
upon the way in which witnesses refer to precautions, &c., as though
suggested by themselves when they were in reality suggested by the
" medium."
Later we read : " The agency was asked to wind up the suspended
chalet, but reported that it turned round [naturally] when the
attempt was made." This suggests, of course, the remark that Eusapia
could reach the chalet with one hand, but could not wind it up unless
she could apply pressure to keep the chalet still, as she could not do,
at the first trial at least, while the chalet was suspended by the string,
and was beyond the reach of any other part of her body.
Later we find that : " Eusapia now held both her hands on Lodge's
head, and Myers held both her knees." How she laid her hands on
Lodge's head, and how he knew they were there all the time, we are
not informed.
Later we find the folio wing description : —
"While Lodge held both the medium's hands on the table, and also her
head leaning over on to him away from the chalet, (see figure above), and
while Richet held both her feet, the suspended chalet was heard to be
wound partially up 3 times, with brief pauses, taking four seconds in all,
as heard and recorded by Bellier. It did not now begin to play, but began
to flap, as if its doors were trying to open. Soon it began to play and raps
were heard on it. While it played Eusapia's hands waved L. 's hands in the
«ir in time with the music. It soon stopped, but was immediately re-wound
and went on playing some time. While this was going on, the chalet began
to swing and the string was heard to break, but instead of dropping on
the floor, the chalet was gently placed on M. 's head and thence on to the
table."
Now we know that one of the mistakes to which a witness is liable
is the transposition of events at a sitting. The witnesses may have
heard the string break, but they may have heard it before the chalet
began to be wound up and not after. Here is an instance where the
record of the original dictated notes might be of service. This original
record might establish that in the belief of the sitters at the time of
the occurrences the sound of winding preceded the sound of breaking of
the string. Nothing is said about any examination of the string after-
52 Dr. Hodgson. [MAR.-APR., 189&;
wards. For all that appears in the report the chalet might be wound
up with one hand while still suspended from the string, and the
string might have really been broken at the point of time described in
the report.
The next statement that calls for any special comment is: " Observa-
tion made in light as to correct holding of Eusapia's hands." Wha
suggested this observation does not appear, but one advantage of the
" making one hand do duty for two " is just the fact that the freed
hand can come back at once. This is precisely the kind of observation
that I should ask to be made were I doing a similar trick myself.
Finally we read : —
"After the sitting there occurred a curious writing episode, in which the
clean finger nail of Professor Richet, held by Eusapia, was made to act as a
blue crayon and to leave a thick blue pencil mark when drawn thus along
white paper in full candle light. This was done several times, and the
formation of the last two of these marks was closely watched by all in the
light close to a candle. It appeared to L. as if the blue did not appear
directly under the nail, but slightly on one side, as if some invisible
protrusion from the fingers of Eusapia (which themselves were about half
an inch off the paper) were really producing it, but he does not vouch for
this detail and only records it as a memorandum for future observation.
[The paper was certainly clean beforehand, and the marks could be seen
being formed.]"
How, in detail, was Professor Richet's finger nail held by Eusapia ?
What examination was made of Eusapia's hand or hands immediately
before and after the episode ? How does Professor Lodge know that a
piece of " blue crayon " was not held surreptitiously by Eusapia and
concealed from view by her own fingers or those of Richet ? About
such points as these, the really important points of the " curious writ-
ing episode," — not a word ! If done as I suggest, it was a natural
enough illusion for the witnesses to think that they saw the marks
" being formed." I venture to think, however, that this is just what
they did not see, and that what they did see was the marks coming
into view just after they were formed. Another incident very like a.
conjuring trick.
Proceeding to the account of the Fourth Sitting, we find that the
report becomes still more lax. Several " phenomenal " incidents are
recounted before we read : ' ' Eusapia was well held, and all conditions
perfect."
When and exactly how were the distances measured between
Eusapia and the objects moved ? What evidence is there that the
curtain was untouched by ordinary means by Eusapia ? Why wasn't
the "large face or mask " really a "mask" held up by Eusapia and
projected against the window ? But, indeed, there is no need to suppose
any more than that Eusapia was moving the curtain about with
possibly an imitation hand possibly at the end of a rod. We learn
that " there was so much locomotion in this se'ance that it is useless to
give a plan." What about the various measurements ? I am not at
all sure that Eusapia could not have got at the key with a freed hand ;
though she may have had to use some attachment, carried about with
MAR.— APR., 1895.] Evidence in Case of Eusapia Paladino. 53
her for the purpose of " elongating her reach." We read about a
•" fair light," " very visible," " plainly enough visible," and learn that
" there was light enough to see the position of everybody's normal
hands all the time on this occasion [the key incident], and we were
sitting some four or five feet distant from the door." Who, as a matter
of fact, did see Eusapia's normal hands during this incident ? Was the
light enough to distinguish a normal hand from a dummy hand 1 Who
was four or five feet distant from the door ? How far was the end of
the key beyond Eusapia's possible reach 1 What were the positions of
the sitters ? Who was holding Eusapia and how 1 Why could she
not have managed this phenomenon quite easily with her foot ?
The last incident mentioned is the following : —
"Medium now conducted the standing group to near the writing desk
in the corner, and made three little movements with her held hand. They
seemed to take effect and tilt the desk backwards, after a very short but
.appreciable interval. Then she moved further away and repeated the
action ; the same movement of the bureau occurred, but with more delay.
Then once more, this time two metres from the desk ; and the interval
elapsing before the response was now greater, perhaps as much as two
seconds."
Whether Eusapia could have " fixed " the desk before with threads
or a cord or not does not appear. Whether she " fixed " it at the time
does not appear. Mr. Davey, in a bright light and under the eyes of
several witnesses, could arrange a thread so that chalks resting on a
slate and covered by an inverted tumbler would be moved away from
him (Proceedings S.P.R., Vol. VIII., p. 275).
The account speaks of her " held hand." Presumably therefore
one of Eusapia's hands was not even imagined by the witnesses to be
held . What was it doing ; and what had it done ?
Professor Lodge says in his preliminary remarks : — " I had a
hoop ready to pass over her body when some continuous distant action
was going on, to see if anything would be intercepted, but I found no
convenient opportunity for performing the experiment." That last
incident of the Fourth Sitting might have been a good time, — but then
the cord might have been close to the floor.
It remains to make a few remarks about the statements made at
the meeting as recorded in the Journal. Mr. Myers gives a more
detailed account (Journal S.P.R. for November, p. 337) of an incident
which is referred to briefly in the report ; but, as in the report gene-
rally, we are not informed in any way precisely how E.'s hands were
held, — so that I may assume that one hand was free, in which case
what Mr. Myers " felt " could easily enough have been produced by knee,
band (or fist), and elbow of Eusapia. Even without the hand, it would have
been easy enough to produce what is described by knee, foot and head,
— the head being applied to the near side of Mr. Myers, the knee in the
small of the back, and the foot to the remoter side, — and this would
rather fit Mr. Myers' description, for which in any case we must allow
•a margin for exaggeration or illusion, even if we suppose that his
54- Dr. Hodgson, [MAR.— APR., ISQS.
account of the three simultaneous pressures is to be taken as exact.
M oreover the force suggested by the pressure of the knee in this way
appears considerable, and hence probably Mr. Myers' impression " at the
time " that it was greater than his own. Where there is some inde-
dendent means of judging what force was actually used on different occa-
sions, as by lifting of tables, change of weight on scales, etc., it is per-
fectly clear, as I venture to think,that there is no indication of any force
used in the sittings which need be regarded as beyond that possessed
by a woman of Eusapia's " make-up," if we except the dynamometer
incident mentioned in Professor Lodge's Introduction.
Mr. Myers refers to another incident which is not mentioned in
Professor Lodge's report at all, and he states that he " clearly witnessed
objects poised and moving with no material hand or attachment." The
statement which he quotes from the notes is more careful : " M. saw
no hand touching it." This is a very different matter. I have seen
lots of objects move about at conjurers' entertainments where / saw
" no material hand or attachment," — and when the light was far more
than prevailed at the sitting referred to, although on the other hand
the distances were greater. Mr. Davey in brilliant light could use a.
thread "right under the eyes" of the witness without being detected,
and I venture to think that Mr. Myers' opinion, that there could have
been no attachment because he did not see one in the dim light which
prevailed, cannot be regarded as valuable evidence that there was no
attachment.
Mr. Myers then refers to the overturning of the large table at the
first sitting. It is true that he does this with special reference to the-
" collective hallucination hypothesis." But he seems to think that to
explain the phenomenon concerned by ordinary means, Eusapia, " in-
stead of sitting between us, as we supposed, must have got up and left
the circle, passed behind me to overturn the table, and returned and
taken our hands before the light was struck directly afterwards." I do-
not see the necessity for any such supposition as this. I see no reason why
Eusapia could not have overturned the table with one freed hand, as I
have suggested in my previous comment on this incident. Mr. Myers
further says, with reference to the supposition of a dummy hand : " It
would however be difficult to train a stuffed hand to perspire naturally,
to mark time to an accordion, and to clench one's palm with its nails ;
all which the small hand which I grasped undoubtedly did." The
accordion may have been played (i.e. single notes sounded, vide the
Report, Journal for November, p. 350) by Eusapia's foot. The accordion
did not play apparently until after it got on to the floor.
The statements of Professor and Mrs. Sidgwick at the meeting, a&
reported in the Journal for November, do not of course refer to the four
sittings reported by Professor Lodge, at which they were not present,
and they do not include any detailed statements as to precisely what
happened at their sittings under detailed conditions of holding. I
need hardly say that I shall look with very profound interest for the
detailed reports by them of the sittings at which they were present.
In the meantime I draw special attention to the fact that Mrs. Sidg-
MAB.— APR., 1895.] Reply to Dr. Hodgson. 55
wick says that, as far as her own experiences go, the evidence " entirely
depends on whether her [Eusapia's] hands were efficiently held " ; and I
remind the reader that we are nowhere in the Report (nor in the addi-
tional speeches) given any information as the precise methods of
holding both hands on any particular occasion.
REPLY TO DR. HODGSON.
BY F. W. H. MYERS.
I have obtained permission from Professor Lodge to make a general
reply in his name as well as my own to the searching criticism which
Dr. Hodgson has bestowed upon our evidence as to Eusapia Paladino,
as contained in Professor Lodge's Report, my own speech as reported
in the Journal for November, 1894, and the extracts thus far printed
from the notes compiled at the time by Professor Lodge and myself,
and approved by Professors Richet and Ochorowicz.
My principal reason for wishing to undertake this task is that the
questions at issue seem to me to lie less directly between Professor
Lodge and the scientific world than between Dr. Hodgson and myself.
For the objections are virtually directed against the brevity of the
notes taken on the island ; a brevity for which I am as fully responsible
as Professor Lodge. And, moreover, the omissions complained of are
largely of a technical character, involving defects in testimony, not as
testimony is ordinarily given by competent witnesses, but as a certain
group of enquirers in the S.P.R. itself — of whom I have been one —
have demanded that it should be given when certain special phenomena
are being described. I entirely adhere to the canons of evidence
which I myself, as well as Dr. Hodgson, have been concerned in
establishing ; and I feel that some explanation is due from me to him, or
to any other colleague who cares to demand it, for certain deviations from
those canons in the evidence before us. With Professor Lodge the case
stands somewhat differently ; and he has dealt with such special
points as he wished to notice in an appendix to this paper. In ex-
plaining how the above-mentioned deviations came to be made, I hope
to show that Dr. Hodgson's criticisms do not in any wise affect our own
conviction, and need not, in our view, affect any conviction felt by our
readers, as to the genuineness of the phenomena described.
Some remarks by Professor Richet and Dr. Ochorowicz will be
found below.
The gist of Dr. Hodgson's paper lies in a strong insistance that the
way in which Eusapia's hands were held should have been more fully
described, and that the absence of such description entitles him to
assume that she could habitually have got at least one hand free, by
causing Professor Lodge and myself to hold each other's hands, or
both of us to hold the same hand of her own. He then urges that
56 F. W. H. Myers. [MAR.—
with one hand free (and perhaps a foot also, as to which I will
speak separately), Eusapia could have performed all the described
phenomena.
I have therefore three points to answer. (1) Is the hand-holding
properly described ? (2) Could she in fact have got a hand or hands
free 1 (3) If so, could she have produced the phenomena ?
In reply to the first question I admit that a fuller description
would have been desirable, as is indeed shown by the very fact that so
competent a critic as Dr. Hodgson feels our record to be inadequate ;
but I would point out that the defects were not due, as he seems to
imply, to previous ignorance or present negligence as to hand-holding
on our part, but rather to a mistaken assumption that certain pre-
liminary statements, obvious to ourselves, would be taken for granted
by the reader also ; and to an over-estimation of the degree of confidence
which would be placed in the brief, but carefully- weighed, assertions
made by ourselves as to our observations.
To the second question I reply that it continues to be the serious and
complete conviction of all of us, Lodge, Richet, Ochorowicz, and myself,
that on no single occasion during the occurrence of an event recorded by
us was a hand of Eusapia's free to execute any trick whatever, and that
we claim the belief of others for this fact on the ground that we were
all of us completely familiar, either by experience or by instruction,
with the hand-tricks as described by Dr. Hodgson, and were expressly,
intently, and concordantly engaged throughout in rendering those tricks
impossible. I shall point out also that this task was a much easier one
than Dr. Hodgson appears to assume ; and especially that so far as the
essential point — viz., the fraudulent production of phenomena — is con-
cerned, there was not even need for continuous attention (as he, in dis-
regard of Lodge's words on p. 315, assumes that there was), inasmuch
as we received distinct warnings when any marked phenomenon was
about to occur ; sufficiently before its occurrence to exalt our watchful-
ness to its highest point.
To the third question I reply that even assuming that Eusapia had
had a hand or a foot, or both hands or both feet, free, she most
certainly could not have caused certain phenomena without getting
up and leaving her place between us. I repeat that (for instance)
the raisings, movings, and overturnings of the 481b. table behind my
back, but in view of Professor Ochorowicz, — my person and a space of at
least four feet intervening between the medium and the nearest part of
that large table — constituted such a case. Eusapia had had no access
to that large table since she entered the room and sat down at once at
the small one, with myself, as I say, between her and the large one,
and in a light in which her movements could be distinctly seen. That
she could have acted in such a manner upon a table of that weight
and in that place while sitting dimly visible and quiet, jammed between
Professor Lodge and myself, was, I must repeat, a thing im-
possible. This is in fact just one of the cases, to which I shall elsewhere
have to allude, where an occurrence which is very simple to observe
may be very complex to describe ; — and where no description can
MAR.— APR., leas.] Reply to Dr. Hodgson. 57
really be as valuable as the clear conviction at the moment of persons
fully warned and carefully watching.
But now let me go at once to the root of the matter. The following
rsentences, — expressly indicating our sense of the importance of the fact
that absolutely continuous attention throughout the whole of the sit-
tings was not essential to our observation of the phenomena; — the follow-
ing sentences, I say, which were written after the first stance, and left
by us unmodified throughout as applying to all the stances, contain an
exact and deliberate statement of actual fact.
" There was not," we say, " the slightest attempt made on her part
to struggle out of control. On the contrary, before any special exer-
tion of power she usually requested attention to the hands, feet, knees,
.and often head ; and a definite report as to their position and security.
There was often a twitching of the body and spasmodic pressure of
the fingers, but never sufficient to cause loss of control."*
To these statements we absolutely adhere. We were all of us
familiar with the possible jugglings with hands which Dr. Hodgson
describes ; and when thus warned before some phenomenon took place,
and very often when not so warned, we described to each other, and
frequently showed to each other by holding up Eusapia's held hands,!
that our grasp was complete and satisfactory. When we said " Mains
bien tenues," we meant that the hands were well grasped across palm
and four fingers at least, the thumb also being frequently included. I
generally held Eusapia's hand supinated ; that is, with its palm up-
wards, and meeting my palm ; and when so held her sharp nails were
habitually pressed with slight twitching movements into my palm.
When I held her hand pronated, that is, with my palm or fingers
over the backs of her fingers, her finger-tips may have projected about
half an inch beyond my grasp. Sitting extremely close to her, I was
in frequent contact with her whole arm as well, apart from occasions
when I am expressly recorded as securing the whole arm. It is
impossible that Professor Lodge should have been holding the same
hand without my observing it. If his hand had been grasping hers
there would have been no room for mine.
But, it is said, I may have been thus grasping a hand not Eusapia's ;
a kand, therefore, which in almost all cases must have been that of
Lodge, from our relative positions. Now Lodge, whom I think Hodgson
hae only once met, is a very tall and very powerfully built man (six feet
two and a-half inches in height), and his hands are massive, cool, firm,
and muscular. My own hand is not large enough to grip Lodge's in the
sasae way that I gripped Eusapia's, and to suppose that I could mis-
* So, for instance, in notes of the first seance 11.10, "M. distinctly pinched as by
five fingers, one after the other touching, and then all pinching simultaneously.
Eusapia had predicted this by making movement with her hand on the hand of M.,
and saying 1,2,3,4,5 ; — the idea being that she is indicating what is going to be done,
and makes the prediction to call attention to it."
t When we speak of Eusapia's " held hands " or " held hand " we certainly do not
mean, as Dr. Hodgson in one place assumes us to mean, that she had other hands
unheld. What we mean is " with hands, or a hand, which was held." Surely this is
ordinary grammar enough !
58 F. W. H. Myers. [MAR.-APK., is»5.
take my friend's massive, steady, round-nailed hand for the small, per-
spiring, quivering, sharp-nailed hand of the Neapolitan woman appears
to me a hypothesis only a little less desperate than to suppose that I
mistook a gloved and stuffed hand for that very living extremity which
fingered the palm of my own hand, or spasmodically squeezed it, for so
many hours.
In saying this I am by no means wishing to make light of
the difficulties in holding Eusapia's hands firmly which other observers
have experienced. I hear that it frequently happens, when " the
power is weak," that she prefers to hold or touch the observer's hand,
rather than to let her own be grasped. But it so chanced that the
seances with Lodge and myself were (in the experienced view of
Richet and Ochorowicz) probably about the best ever held with
Eusapia since she has been observed by scientific persons. For
myself, I experienced only just so much of the unwillingness to
allow my grasp as enabled me to realise the truth of the description
given by others. On one or two occasions only — and not while any
phenomena were going on — she put her hand lightly on the back of
mine instead of giving it to me to hold (John each time apologising
and asking permission) ; and once — I think once only — I missed
the hand for a moment, instantly called out "j'ai perdu la main ! "
and recovered it almost before I had finished speaking, — nothing
having occurred meantime. This was my sole moment of diffi-
culty, if difficulty it could be called. And indeed I think that
Dr. Hodgson's description of hand-jugglings gives a misleading
impression of the difficulty of meeting them. I remember indeed that
in the years 1873-4, when holding the hands of a large male impostor,
with some stranger on the impostor's other side, I have felt myself hard
put to it to keep a good grip of the big violently jerking hand : but
there was no such difficulty in this case ; in fact, as already said, the
hand, under "John's " control, thrust itself hard against mine, and the
arm and knee and often the head of their own accord pressed
against mine just when it was important to have them under due con-
trol. If I myself had been animating Eusapia's body I could hardly
have made its actions and positions more subservient to the interests of
our research. And here a word as to the control of the medium's feet.
While they were on the electrical apparatus we frequently tested it,
making sure that a raising of the medium's feet was followed by a
ringing of the bell. It sometimes happened that some violent motion
or fall of some object might disarrange the connexions, but the defect
was quickly detected. Eusapia's shoes had been removed lest they
might be used to jam the pedal down, and a leaden foot could not
have escaped detection. However, that apparatus was little used
and the question is mainly as to control of her feet when free from it.
Now, as dummy feet have been suggested, I may here say that whereas
in the notes of the first seance I am described as wearing soft slippers,
in the later seances — in the interest of Science ! — I discarded even these,
and exercised, with the intervention only of silk socks, the faculties
which I inherit from a prehensile and quadrumanous ancestry. I
MAP. -APR., 1895.] Reply to Dr. Hodgson. 59
feel as sure about the feet guaranteed by me as about the hands ; —
even supposing that, if not held, a foot could manage to press one
between the shoulders or on the head with a sensation as of five large
separate fingers, and wind up with a series of smart and sounding
slaps on the back.*
Of all this complex of satisfying incidents, — so much easier to
observe than to describe, — we endeavoured to give what we regarded,
and still regard, as the most essential record ; — namely, a series, so
to say, of instantaneous photographs of our own unanimous convic-
tion at each critical moment. This conviction was the result
in each case of a rapid survey or constatation of the actual
positions, — a direct appeal by one of us to each of the rest in
turn as to satisfactory holding of each limb, — with answers corro-
borated by gestures, — as for instance the holding up in the air of the
hand which each was grasping ; the light being in most cases quite
adequate to show the lifted hands, — and to show that the hand held
(say) by Professor Lodge and that held by me were at a distance of one
or two or three feet from each other ; — abundantly enough to preclude
the supposition that we had both been holding the same hand, and that
the second hand had been surreptitiously slipped back into place. Some-
times (as recorded in each case) we struck a light in order to observe the
position of things (generally on Professor Richet' s initiative, as he kept
the matches, — never on Eusapia's), and in no case did the light reveal
any mistake on our part as to the nature of the grasps which we had
believed to exist. It would be well, no doubt, to arrange that such
illuminations should be still more sudden ; but, as it was, all that was
needed between phenomenon and illumination was, say, half a minute
of forewarned, earnest, quiescent attention.
It was, then, in this unique immediacy of record, combined with
our own previous preparation for the task, that we deemed that the
main strength of our evidence lay. But was our own experience suf-
ficient ? Had we a right to assume that our readers would give us
credit for knowing how to hold a human hand 1 Let us consider each
observer in turn.
In the case, first, of Professor Richet, I shall, of course, appeal on
my side to every one of the passages which Dr. Hodgson has quoted
from him as though against himself — and to much else on the same lines
which Professor Richet has written. It seems to me that Richet,
if any man, has given proof, by cautious discussion of this very
point, — by the formulation of these very requirements which Dr.
Hodgson cites with approval, — by patient suspense of judgment and
reiteration of experiments at Milan, at Rome, and for many weeks
continuously upon this desert island selected and bought for the
purpose, and in his own Chateau de Carqueiranne — has given proof,
I say, that when he affirms that a hand is well held he knows what he
is saying ; that he is not duped by those elementary fallacies of which
* During most of the second series of seances each foot was held separately by the
hand of an observer under the table.
€0 F. W. H. Myers. [MAR.-APR., i89&.
he, on the Continent, as Dr. Hodgson for us, is himself the recognised
exponent.
Of Professor Ochorowicz much the same may be said. We hope to
publish before long a translation from the Polish of his critical account
and discussion of phenomena obtained by Eusapia during her stay of
some months under his observation at Warsaw; from which our readers
will judge of the degree of watchfulness and thoroughness which he
has used throughout an observation of Eusapia probably longer than
that made by any other savant. He is familiar with times when the
control is troublesome, the phenomena weak, and the movements of
the medium suspicious. He is familiar also with times when the con-
ditions are really good, and doubt, as in our case, impossible. At
Warsaw, I may here add, the personal search and scrutiny of the
medium, which Dr. Hodgson justly asks for, was made (I hear)
with satisfactory results.
As for Professor Lodge, he adds another to the list of savants,
chosen originally as investigators for their skill and impartiality,
whose results, had they been negative results, no one would have ven-
tured to impugn. Less familiar, no doubt, with mediums and their
ways than the rest of us, he was at any rate sufficiently acquainted with
the whole hand-holding business, and he brought to the quest not only
those worldly reasons against avowed belief which, could they operate
at all with men of that stamp, would have operated on Professor
Richet too, but also an intellectual or scientific aversion to these
seeming-random phenomena, which the rest of us had perhaps ceased
to feel. He has spoken of his " nausea at the reception of these un-
palatable facts " ; and many readers I am sure, will sympathise
with this sensation. The rest of us, so to say, had already found our
sea-legs. I cannot indeed credit myself personally with a refined dis-
gust at jumpings of tables and pullings of whiskers, and slaps on the
back, offered in all their material grossness as proofs of a spiritual world.
My scheme of the universe (and very likely a black-beetle's scheme
of the universe) can fit them in very well. I look on them as the inevit-
ably gross and grotesque manifestations of the important law (as I hold
it to be) that a human body's muscular force can, under certain guid-
ance, be exercised at some distance from the body's apparent periphery.
Neither, I think, did Professor Richet object to the facts. To him,
indeed, no fact in nature can be theoretically objectionable or desirable,
only practically proved or unproved ; and his is the scientific temper
which makes no scheme at all of the universe beforehand, but simply
tries to find out piecemeal what the universe is. Professor Lodge, on
the other hand, although not quite so fully " endowed .with a knowledge
of the naturally possible and impossible" as to refuse to investigate these
phenomena altogether, and although prepared by certain past experi-
ences for strange surprises, would greatly have preferred that these
supernormal goings-on should confine themselves to the psychological
region alone, for which the Royal Society, so to say, would not hold him
personally responsible. Pressed by some evil genius to come and see
Eusapia, he would much have preferred to discover the whole thing to be
MAR.— APR., 1895.] Reply to Dr. Hodgson. 61
some curious variety of trance, not involving invisible fulcra, and action
whose reaction seems to lie in some imaginary world. If Dr. Hodgson
had witnessed Lodge's depression after that first convincing even-
ing, he would have wondered that anyone — like the classic boy with
the alphabet — should have gone through so much to gain so little ; —
should have gone through such an amount of semi- voluntary imbecility
and almost calculated incompetence in order to gain his own glum
reflections, and the compassion of the scientific world.
And lastly as to the fourth member of the group. Well ! I call the
rat-catcher who visits my barn an expert ; — not that I credit him with
special rat-catching gifts, or even regard rat-catching as an art for which
many gifts are required ; — but simply because he has been at it so long
that I cannot but think that he must know something about it by now.
I too can say, — and this is surely not a boast but a confession ! — that
I have followed the business of " sitter " at seances, — mostly with hand-
holding as the occupation for such part of my energies as was not
occupied in " sitting," — perhaps as assiduously as any man living. I
knew all about these little hand-tricks twenty years ago, and I have
shown them off to my friends until, in the poet's words, — " Until the
thing almost became — A bore." I blush to add that, even before the
S.P.R. was founded, I had already 367 seances recorded in my note-
book. If after all this practice I cannot yet be sure of holding my
neighbour's hand, I had certainly better stop " sitting," — or at any
rate take a back seat.
And here I had written out an answer, point by point, to Dr.
Hodgson's detailed criticisms, — giving exactly what I believed to be
the true details of each phenomenon. In most cases my memory
seemed to supply me with a complete reply to his questions and
strictures ; but in some cases my memory was hazy ;— and alas ! I
felt how subtle was the temptation to make it seem a little more explicit
than it actually was. I will not expose myself to this temptation of
painting up the photographs so instantaneously taken. I will not
even point out all the places where Dr. Hodgson's description is
inconsistent with what seems to me the plain — and what is certainly
the true — meaning of the words of the record. What I have already said
in general will answer many of his points in detail. Take, for instance,
Stance I., 12.4 A.M. " M. and L. holding Eusapia's hands in air firmly,
R.'s hand was firmly grasped and held by a hand like a right hand. It
was held for 31 seconds [i.e. while Richet slowly counted 31] and then
let go." Professor Lodge and I, then, were all this time both grasping
Eusapia's left hand in the air without discovering it, although expressly
warned by Professor Richet (before he began counting seconds) that he
was grasped by a right hand ! And one other matter there is which
I do so specially remember that I must mention it here — though Dr.
Hodgson will not be " justified in assuming" — to use his favourite
phrase — that I have forgotten everything else !
Speaking of the hug round back and thighs which I experienced at
our last seance, and described in my speech reported in the November
Journal, Dr. Hodgson says : —
62 F. W. H. Myers. [MAR—APR., isgs.
" Even without the hand, it would have been easy enough to pro-
duce what is described by knee, foot, and head ; the head being applied
to the near side of Mr. Myers, the knee in the small of the
back, and the foot to the remoter side ; — and this would rather fit Mr.
Myers' description, for which in any case we must allow a margin for
exaggeration or illusion, even if we suppose his account of the three
simultaneous pressures is to be taken as exact."
The statement in the contemporary notes is as follows : —
" M. was seized from behind as by a bear [a phrase which we used
to intimate grasp without feel of distinct fingers] and compressed ; it
turned him about and ultimately drew him violently away from L., who
saw him moving and felt the transmitted pull. M. then felt as if a big
man was kneeling behind him, seizing him round back and thighs, and
shaking him vigorously. Embrace strong and lasting."
We were at this time (12.50) standing round the small table in close
proximity. There was quite enough light to enable me to see her whole
figure well, — as is shown by the fact the just preceding entry in the
notes relates to an object seen by all of us. I held Eusapia's
hand, and was also more or less in contact all the time with
her dress and person, owing to our standing so close together.
Between me and the buffet behind me was a space (as we
afterwards computed) of a few inches only ; in fact I was standing just
clear of it. It would seem, then, that Eusapia, standing close to me, with
her back against the bright strip of sky, one hand firmly held by
me and the other by Professor Richet, and with Professor Lodge with-
in a few feet, was able, unperceived by me or by them, to
press me with her head and knee and foot simultaneously on
the outsides of the thighs and in the small of the back, first
wheeling me round and dragging me half a pace or so along
the floor, — not by her hand, which remained passive in mine, but with
these other parts of her person ; — and then shaking me violently from
side to side and giving me, by these same means, a " strong and lasting
embrace " around the region already described ; — all in the space of a
few inches' width, — and while I, for the twenty seconds or so that the
affair lasted (I had time at least to describe it all both in French and
English) was loudly calling out to my companions what was going on.
All these actions of Eusapia's, of course, may have been performed
unnoticed under the very noses of Professors Richet and Lodge ;
but in that case I fear our inference must be that it is of no use to
have these phenomena investigated by anybody except by Dr.
Hodgson himself.
" Enough of this ! " as Carlyle would have said, " nay, much more
than enough!" But, after all, the "enginer, hoist with his own petar,"
may reflect with satisfaction — especially if he comes down again with
no bones broken — that it is a good thing that " petars " exist, and
even that he has helped to make them. Dr. Hodgson — to vary the
metaphor — is struggling like Hercules with the Lernaean hydra of
ever-reviving imposture ; it matters little if in the melee he gets his
MAR.- APR., 1895.] Reply to Dr. Hodgson. 63
faithful squire lolaus by the neck for a minute in mistake. And, to
speak out, ray own past attitude with regard to Eusapia has been not
very different from Dr. Hodgson's present one. It is now some five or
six years since I was repeatedly and pressingly invited by friends living
in Italy to come to them and see Eusapia under any conditions that
I liked. My friends were far from being foolish persons ; but I did not
regard them as experts ; I presumed that they had been taken in ; and
I missed my opportunity. I then forgot all about Eusapia until I read
simultaneously some of the accounts by Italian savants, and Torelli's
articles in the Milan Corriere, to which Dr. Hodgson above alludes. I
was convinced by Torelli that the thing must be a fraud ; I presumed
that the Italian savants, who were then only names to me — as
Professors Lodge and Richet are now to Dr. Hodgson — must have
been grossly duped ; and I dissuaded a friend from taking the trouble
to investigate the matter. It was only when Professor Richet began
to verge towards conviction that I too was swayed. Knowing these
two men, Professor Richet and Dr. Hodgson, so well as I do, I yet
hardly know which of them in such matters I deem the acuter. Can
I be wrong in thinking that Professor Richet's presence of mind at
a seance is a safer guide than Dr. Hodgson's absence of body ? At
.any rate I came when Professor Richet called ; I came, saw, and was
conquered.
Nay, there is a previous incident which at this juncture is still
more exactly ad rem. The first accounts of Mrs. Piper's trances
which Dr. Hodgson, with strongly expressed conviction of their
genuine character, sent over to England were evidentially, in my
judgment, weak in the extreme. Especially they contained statements
as to a departed friend of my own, correct so far as printed sources
could have furnished them, but beyond that point vague or false
altogether. Here I was on my own chosen ground. I had made a
special study of such messages ; I was accustomed to analyse their
possible sources ; and I was especially sensitive to the cruel possibility
of accepting a lying message as though it came from some well-loved
soul. Dr. Hodgson's tone of conviction jarred me to the depths. I
refused to give the messages to the persons concerned. I wrote again
and again insisting on the suspicious — as T held them the damning
points ; in a tone from which only my respect for my correspondent
averted a touch of scorn. The sequel I need hardly tell. Further
evidence from Dr. Hodgson himself and from others, and, more than
all, personal sittings with Mrs. Piper, convinced me that the objections
which I thought unanswerable were groundless, and that Dr.
Hodgson's conviction, which I had wondered that I failed to shake,
was based on far more of intimate evidence than his letters could carry,
and was, as to my mind his ultimate convictions have always been,
the reasonable outcome of conscientious care.
Long may we thus differ, and thus become agreed ! Long may all
we fellow- workers bestow on each other's work a more jealous scrutiny
than we can hope for from the indifferent world outside ! For many a
year yet it will be our duty to receive each new increment of knowledge
64 Professor Lodge. [MAR.-APR., isos.
with alert, almost suspicious watchfulness ; like the Border champions
of old time who
Carved at the meal with gloves of steel,
And drank the red wine through the helmet barred.
This new wine may have a rugged savour ; but I believe that it
will make glad the inner man with the after-taste of truth.
O
ADDITIONAL REMARKS BY PROFESSOR LODGE.
I have no wish to minimise the importance of Dr. Hodgson's lengthy and
elaborate criticism of our manner of recording details of observation and of
our judgment in selecting portions for printing. But it should be obserred
that Dr. Hodgson does not attack the phenomena themselves — he cannot
do that, since he has never observed them, — nor has he anything much tc-
say against the report itself, i.e., the only portion of the complete report
which as yet has been published by us, but (1) he attacks our detailed notes,
saying that they are meagre and inadequate as descriptions of what occurred,
and (2) he considers that we should have not only made them much fuller
originally but also published every portion of them with amplification rather
than abridgment.
Now as regards the second point the entire Eusapia report will probably
be rather bulky, and may very likely contain statements from other observers
analogous to the statement already published of mine ; for fuller detail I
must refer Dr. Hodgson to these statements. He says that in not giving still
more elaborate details I am ' ' forsaking the scientific method " ; but with
deference I submit that we have already given more details than is customary
in a scientific paper. If indeed the event we were describing were an event
never to occur again in the lifetime of the present generation, like a transit
of Venus, then it might be worth while to fill volumes with detailed
accounts from every ^observer (even though they might never get read) ; but
when an experiment or observation is capable of repetition it is customary to
state it as carefully as possible, to give a few illustrative extracts from a note-
book, and there to leave it. It would be most tedious, and is a justly
condemned process, to " publish the laboratory note-book." I consider that
we have published sufficient to serve as a sample of the events at my first four
(as far as I am concerned by far the most important) sittings ; and so I do
not agree with Dr. Hodgson's contention about publishing. But I am by no
means disposed to disagree altogether with his first contention, that the notes
are a meagre and brief record of what occurred. Their brevity renders it the
more necessary to remember that each note is an accurate and carefully
weighed statement, erring always on the side of defect rather than on the
side of excess. So far as they go they are precise, and if a critic of the
evidence chooses to disbelieve them in any particular he * ' may safely
assume " that he is making a mistake.
I may point out that an observer in a laboratory is accustomed to con-
centrate his attention on what is occurring, and does not allow either the
writing or the dictation of notes to interfere with his careful observation at
the time. He repeats the experiment till he is satisfied, and then publishes
his facts, but he never expects to produce so full and complete a record
as to dispense with the need for repetition and verification by others.
Faraday knew something about physical experiments, but when given a
MAR,.— APR., 1895.] Additional Remarks. 65
description of a new experiment — even in ordinary physics — he is reported
to have said " let me see it : without seeing it I cannot properly realise ifc
in all its conditions," or words to that effect. So I say now. The notes are
memoranda of the facts as they occurred ; they are not exhaustive descrip-
tions ; I never thought of trying to make them so. What I did try to do was
•to attend to and emphasise strongly in my report every doubtful and suspicious
point. Accordingly, instead of assuming that whenever a fact in favour of a
phenomenon is not mentioned therefore it did not occur, it would on the Avhole
be truer, though also more rash and not at all to be recommended, to assume
that whenever there is no record of a possible flaw in the evidence or loop-
hole for a trick then there was no such flaw in the facts.
The notes are as good as were feasible under the circumstances. It is not
often, I believe, that such good notes have been taken at stances — it is one of
the features of our series, — but I myself did not go to the Mediterranean to
take or to dictate notes : I went to see the occurrences and satisfy myself on
the spot of their authenticity or otherwise. I did so satisfy myself, and I am
absolutely convinced, but far be it from me to say that that fact is important.
It will be a more important day in the history of the S.P.R. when Dr.
Hodgson, with his admittedly wider experience of frauds and his long
attention to conjuring and other devices, himself succeeds in witnessing
real psycho-physical phenomena, and at last convinces himself of their
genuineness. I venture to say that he will never do this by reading
reports.
I do not however expect even him to produce detailed notes such as will
satisfy outsiders and persons who have not themselves experienced the things.
For by the process of sometimes disbelieving the record, sometimes assuming
an inverted order for the occurrences, and sometimes postulating very gross
mal-observation and carelessness, a critic of the future may I fear hereafter be
able to maul Dr. Hodgson's hypothetical notes almost as gratuitously as he has
now done ours.
Before concluding I will reply briefly to such of his criticisms as strike
me as most plausible. I refer to marginal numbers in his text.
(1) I still agree that "continuous close observation " is very difficult, ar \
my conviction in respect of some of the occurrences now under discussior is
partly due to the fact that close observation during the actual occurrence oj an
event was often sufficient. /
(2) In my last series of sittings with Professor Sidgwick I was able to
realise what is here spoken of concerning the elusiveness of a hand ; but on
the island this difficulty for some reason was much less marked, and for long
periods together the left hand and whole fore-arm would lie in my hand and
fore-arm, completely grasped and almost passive except for muscular contrac-
tions during the exertion of distant force. I believe that the right hand was
usually the more active of the two.
(3) The statement in italics, that, in the past experience of someone, " no
contact as of a hand was ever felt while both hands were being held by a
.single person," can hardly be held to negative and outweigh my definite
statement and repeated experience of a contrary kind. I quote from the
November Journal, pp. 348 et seq.
Sitting I., 10.51. " While L. held head and both hands, and M. held both
•feet, M. was touched as with a hand on his arm and body."
Sitting I. 11.34. " L. holding both hands oj E., was distinctly touched
<is by a hand on the shoulder and back of head."
Sitting II., page 352. " L. ivas then permitted to hold both hands and
both feet (fche foot apparatus being removed) and he was then touched twice
66 Professor Lodge. [MAR.-APR., 1395..
OH the back and grasped distinctly on the left arm. [Incidentally I may add
that Eusapia's mode of giving her feet to be held by another person's legs is.
a very thorough one. There is no question possible about deception.]
Sitting III., page 354. During this sitting the experience was a frequent
one : I continue to quote from the printed record. " Several times during the
next hour Lodge was touched, grasped, and pinched while he distinctly held
both Eusapia's hands and feet." '• While Lodge held both hands and feet the
large table was several times violently moved."
" E. now held both her hands on Lodge's head [it should be understood
that I still had hold of them with my hands too : if I had let go with my
hands the fact would assuredly have been noted] and Myers held both her
Jcnees. . . . the square table made a vigorous scraping movement along the
noor towards us."
" While Lodge held both the 'medium's hands on the table, and also her head
leaning over on to him away from the chalet, and while Richet held both her
feet, the suspended chalet was heard to be wound partially up three times,"
and to do many other specified things.
L. " had also several distinct hand-grasps as frtm a bare hand coming'
from E.'s shoulder, both her real hands being at the time completely in his-
control."
I really do not see how Dr. Hodgson can get over these state-
ments on any of his hypotheses without attributing to us definite and
deliberate falsehood. I can understand a sceptic's taking refuge in the-
supposition that (say) Richet was playing tricks, or that there was some other-
confederate in the room, but Dr. Hodgson declines these hypotheses and
supposes that Eusapia herself was doing the things in a normal way !
(4) I say distinctly that I held, i.e., grasped, both hands of Eusapia while-
phenomena requiring a hand were occurring. It appears to be not always
possible to do this, but Eusapia (or John), knowing of my frequent request
for this test, afforded it to me whenever it was possible, and often in a
manner as satisfactory as I could wish.
(5) " Are we to accept the statement that Ochorowicz saw the table rise
in the air ? " By no means unless we choose ; but that is what Ochorowicz
stated, and that is what is down in the notes.
(6) The long explanation of how scrawls on the table might have been
done by conjuring are rendered somewhat unnecessary by our remark in the-
printed notes that "this has too much the superficial aspect of a conjuring
trick to be altogether satisfactory ; " shewing that we had fully recognised
these possibilities, though we did not consider them very probable under the
circumstances.
(7) This is the one useful critical contribution which I am able to feel that
Dr. Hodgson has made to the evidence. When the table was raised by the-
standing Eusapia the hypothesis of a hook and a strap round her neck did not
occur to me, as it ought to have done. I do not imagine that the lifting
was done that way, but I am not quite sure that it might not be thus feasible;
consequently on this point not only the record but the observation itself at the
time was incomplete and inadequate.
(8) I do not find that Dr. Hodgson is able to pick any hole in the record
of the chalet experiment, on which I lay some stress ; nor indeed in a previous
experiment, I., 12 '4, where Richet was grasped while each of Eusapia's hands
were being "firmly held in the air " by Myers and myself; his criticism in such
cases resolves itself into an impeachment of the accuracy rather than the
MAR. -A PR., 1895.] Experiences avec Eusapia Paladlno. 67
adequacy of the report : and this of course opens up a separate series of
questions.
(9) The swelling of the curtain on this occasion was as if some large body
were in it, or as if it were swollen with wind. The drag of a hand or rod or
string could hardly be spoken of as producing a " swollen " appearance.
Finally, on the subject of "holding" in general, I may say that in the
second series of sittings under the control of Professor and Mrs. Sidgwick the
feet were held almost all the time by a person who got under the table and
used his hands for the purpose, and extremely elaborate attention was paid to
the manner of holding of the hands. This procedure was evidently wise,
in order to impress S.P.R. critics, but it is not equally calculated to impress
everybody. It is singular how intensely and narrowly Dr. Hodgson concen-
trates his attention on methods of holding ; but I find that my scientific
friends, with a few of whom I have privately discussed the matter, are much
more liable to consider the elaborate attention given to the holding as a
blind adopted to conceal the real modus operandi, which they are disposed to
imagine must have more probably taken the shape of an unseen confederate
or a collusive sitter. Eusapia herself they regard as a lay figure. If then in
our notes we had over-emphasised to the minutest details the attitude of her
hands and the location of her feet, we should have been only strengthening
this view in their minds. There are many adverse critics, and some fix
their attention on one point, and some on another. It is almost proverbially
impossible to conciliate everybody by any adopted mode of procedure, and
for my part I do not propose to try. I would rather say to any present or
future critic, Go to Naples and examine the matter for yourself, or else wait
and find some similarly endowed person nearer home, and do not finally
make up your mind on the subject without personal experience.
OLIVER J. LODGE.
A PROPOS DES EXPERIENCES FAITES AVEC EUSAPL
PALADINO.
REPONSE A M. HODGSON.
PAR LE PROFESSEUR CHARLES RICHET.
La seVere critique que M. Hodgson a faite de nos experiences merite
d'etre prise en tres serieuse consideration ; car il a resolument attaque
le seul point vulnerable.
En effet il faut laisser absolument de cote, comme ne meritant pas
d'etre discutees, les hypotheses d'un complice, d'une machination com-
pliquee, d'une hallucination collective ; et je ne crois pas ne"cessaire de
perdre du temps a discuter le ne"ant de ces trois suppositions.
Mais il reste une hypothese tres grave et qui peut se formuler
ainsi : alors qu'on croit tenir les mains d' Eusapia, on ne les tient pas.
Par consequent, comme tous les phenoinenes (ou plutot presque tous
les phenomenes) peuvent s'expliquer tres naturellement si 1'on admet
qu'une main d'Eusapia s'est libe're'e, il faut adopter cette explication
68 Professeur Richet. [MAR. —APR., is»5
qui est la plus simple. Tout le probleme se ramene done a cette unique
question. Est-ce que nous tenions bien les mains d'Eusapia ?
M. Hodgson ne le croit pas. M. O. Lodge, M. Fred. Myers, M.
Ochorowicz et moi nous le croyons. II s'agit done d'examiner ce point.
Tout d'abord il semble que M. Hodgson a tort de reprocher a M. O.
Lodge de ne pas donner plus de details. II est clair que lorsque on dit,
la main est bien tenue, des details plus circonstancies deviennent
presque inutiles. Comme cela se re'pete pres de cent fois au moins
dans une stance, il suffit de s'entendre, ce que nous avons fait constam-
ment, sur le sens de ce mot : la main est bien tenue. Cela signifie
d'abord qu'on n'a aucun doute sur le cote" de la main qu'on tient. Si,
en tenant la main pendant qu'un phenomene se produisait, je n'etais
pas absolument sur que c'etait la main droite (au cas ou j'avais pour
mission de tenir la main droite) aussitot j'arretais tout, en disant,
" j'ai lache la main " ; et tous les experimentateurs faisaient de meme.
De plus nous avions pris le parti de tenir la main fortement, tous les
doigts dans notre paume, ou le poignet et une partie des doigts dans
notre main ; le plus souvent les deux avant-bras, celui d'Eusapia et le
mien, etaient c6te a cote, et les deux mains, celle d'Eusapia et la
mienne, etroitement unies. Enfin nous avions soin, a chaque phenomene,
de nous rappeler.les uns et les autres, a 1'observation exacte, et peut-
etre cent fois dans le cours d'une seance, de maniere a en etre ennuyeux
et meme insupportables, ad nauseam, nous repetions — " je tiens bien la
main droite," " je tiens bien la main gauche."
S'il s'agissait d'experimentateurs novices, peut-etre eblouis, ou
effraye's par la nouveaute des phenomenes, je comprendrais les doutes
de M. Hodgson, et je les partagerais assurement. Mais il s'agit
d'experimentateurs qui avaient conserve" tout leur sang-froid, et qui
certes ne songeaient qu'a faire une experience dans de bonnes
conditions. S'il m'est permis de parler de moi, je dirai que j'ai
experiment^ avec Eusapia 5 fois a Milan, 10 fois a Rome ; 40 fois a
Carqueiranne, et a 1'ile Roubaud, ou elle est restee trois mois. Pendant
ces trois mois, deja prepare" par les experiences faites a Rome et a Milan,
je n'ai pas songe a autre chose qu'a ce point tres special, et cependant
tres important, de bien tenir la main, de maniere a ne pas laisser cette
main se liberer, prendre des objets, et me toucher au dos, au nez, au
front. Avec Ochorowicz qui est reste presque tout le temps a File
Roubaud, et qui avait eu a Varsovie et a Rome une trentaine de seances
de"ja, nous n'avons pas songe a autre chose. Nous n'avions done pas
d'autre preoccupation que celle d'empecher une des mains d'Eusapia de
nous e*chapper.
Eh bien ! sans me croire plus perspicace et plus habile qu'il ne
convient, il me semble que cette constante preoccupation, cette idee
fixe doit un peu me garantir du reproche d'avoir conclu a la legere.
II me semble qu'apres trois mois d'exercice et de meditations on peut
arriver k la certitude qu'on tient bien une main humaine.
Dans une experience (la derniere, je crois) qui a ete' tres brillante,
Madame Sidgwick tenait la main gauche d'Eusapia, et mon savant ami
le Dr. Ch. Se"gard, me'decin en chef de la marine, tenait la main droite.
MAR.— APR , 1895.] Experiences avec Eusapia Paladino. 69
II avait d'ailleurs deja assiste a plusieurs experiences. Quinze ou vingt
fois dans le cours de la seance, je lui ai demande", ainsi qu'a Madame
Sidgwick, " Etes-vous bien, bien sur de tenir la main ? et la meme
main?" Et, sur son affirmation, j'ajoutais, "Prenez garde, si vous
vous trompez, c'est presque de la complicite ! "
II est certain en effet qu'affirmer solennellement, resolument, sans
aucune hesitation, qu'on tient la main droite d'Eusapia, cela veut dire
qu'on en est vraiment sur, et cette affirmation, portant sur un fait facile
et simple, ne comporte probablement pas d'erreur.
Cela est si vrai qu'avec Ochorowicz nous avions imagine divers
appareils electriques pour remplacer ce proce'de e"le"mentaire de la main
tenue dans notre main. Je fais grace au lecteur de la description de
ces divers instruments : ils etaient tres ingenieux, mais ils ne
m'iiispiraient aucune confiance. Je crois beaucoup aux instruments
precis en physique et en physiologic ; mais, quand il faut les laisser
dans 1'obscurite, livres a la fantaisie d'un medium, je n'y attache plus
aucun. prix. A toute 1'instrumentation je prefere, et de beaucoup,
simplement ma main. Car, lorsque je tiens bien solidement la main
droite d'Eusapia dans ma main ou mes deux mains, je suis sur, autant
qu' hurnainement on peut etre sur de quelque chose, qu'elle ne peut pas
promener cette meme main droite sur mes cheveux.
Nous avions aussi essaye de tenir les pieds (dechausse"s) avec nos
pieds (de"chausses). Mais cela est loin de donner une securite absolue ;
car la sensibilite tactile des pieds est assez grossiere. De meme les
appareils electriques pour les pieds ont et£ finalement tout a fait
abandonnes, comme n'inspirant pas une confiance suffisante ; et, pour
les pieds comme pour les mains, le meilleur proce'de nous a paru etre de
les tenir avec nos mains. Aussi, au moins dans la derniere serie des
experiences, 1'un de nous se mettait-il par terre, ayant pour uniqu/
fonction de tenir avec ses deux mains les deux pieds d'Eusapia.
II me semble que cette me'thode est encore la meilleure. Cela y ,ut
tous les appareils, et toutes les ligatures : car les appareils se detraquent
ou se faussent : les noeuds se defont, et peuvent etre refaits, si bien que
la conviction n'est jamais complete. Au contraire, avec la main, on
obtient la certitude, et je suis convaincu que ce proce'de, que M.
Hodgson trouve defectueux, est celui auquel il aurait recours apres
avoir tente d'autres me'thodes.
Cela bien pose, il est une experience qui me parait fondamentale.
Elle ne reussit malheureusement pas toujours, et il faut parfois
beaucoup de patience pour obtenir le phenomene.
II s'agit de tenir les deux mains du medium ; et d'etre soi-memo
touche par une main bien distincte.
II est clair que, lorsque je dis une main bien distincte, je suppose
qu'on a songe a toutes les supercheries possibles. Un contact vague, ce
n'est pas une main ; la sensation d'un moignon, ou d'une paume ne
suffit pas. Une main bien distincte, c'est une main nettement forme"e,
dont on sent les doigts, qui est capable de pincer le bras, de tirer les
cheveux ou la barbe, de faire sentir ses doigts, de donner en un rnot
70 Professeur Richet. [MAR.— APR., 1395.
une sensation telle qu'une main seule peut la donner ; main vivante,
anime"e, tout a fait identique a une main humaine.
Eh bien ! cette experience, je 1'ai faite ; et, pour ne pas parler des
experiences de Rome ou elle avait reussi aussi, a Pile Roubaud 4 fois
elle a re"ussi avec moi. Une fois entre autres, je tenais d'une main les
deux mains d'Eusapia ; je leve mon autre main en Pair, tres haut ; alors
cette main qui est en Pair est saisie vigoureusement par une main qui
me prend deux doigts, les tire avec force, et, apres les avoir tires, me
donne, sur le dos de cette meme main, une tape assez forte que tout le
monde entend.
Ce n'est pas moi seulement qui ai ete ainsi touche par une main
distincte, alors que je tenais les deux mains.
Le 9 juillet Ochorowicz est touch£ dans le dos par une main bien
distincte, alors qu'il tenait les deux mains d'Eusapia.
Le 21 juillet Lodge, tenant les deux mains d'Eusapia est touche"
distinctement par une main a Pepaule.
Le 26 juillet, pendant que je tenais les deux mains d'Eusapia, je
suis touche par une grande main qui se promene sur ma tete.
Ce qui rend cette sorte d'experience tres instructive, et a mon sens
absolument decisive, c'est qu'il faut admettre ou une hallucination
tactile, ce qui me parait absurde ; ou une mauvaise plaisanterie de la
part d'un des assistants, ce qui est impossible a admettre ; ou enfin, et
c'est la conclusion a laquelle j'arrive, quelque chose comme la materiali-
sation d'une main vivante ; conclusion que j'admets en desespoir de
cause ; et a laquelle je ne me resigne pas sans douleur. Les cas dans
lesquels un expe"rimentateur A. tient les deux mains, et un autre
experimentateur JB. est touche par une main sont tres nombreux, et
presque aussi probants.
Le ler juillet, Ochorowicz tient les deux mains : je suis touche par
une main. Le meme jour je tiens les deux mains ; Ochorowicz, a
genoux, tient les deux pieds, et il est touche a la tete par cinq doigts
distincts.
Le 9 juillet, je tiens les deux mains ; Ochorowicz est touche
distinctement par une main ( a deux reprises).
Le 25 juillet, Lodge tient les deux mains ; Myers est touche par
une main.
Le 21 juillet, Lodge tient les deux mains. Myers est touche par
une main qui lui presse le bras; puis, quelque temps apres, Lodge
tenant toujours les deux mains, Myers sent une grosse main qui le
frappe dans le dos.
Quant aux cas dans lesquels un experimentateur A. tient une main
d'Eusapia ; un autre B. tient Pautre main ; et ou cependant des objets
volumineux se meuvent dans la piece, en meme temps qu'une main est
nettement vue ou sentie, nous en avons des exemples si nombreux qu'il
me parait, dans cette note de critique, inutile de les rapporter.
Si encore il suffisait d'un moment d'inadvertance pour expliquer le
phdnomene, j'admettrais bien que pendant une longue peYiode de une
MAR. -APR., 1895.] Experiences avec Eusapia Paladino. 71
ou deux heures d'experience, il s'est produit une negligence d'un
instant, que la main d' Eusapia alors a etc' abandonnee, et, devenant
libre, a pu prendre un des objets voisins. Je sais parfaitement que
1'attention ne peut se prolonger pendant une heure, avec toute certitude
et toute efficacite ; mais les choses ne se passent pas ainsi. Comme 1'ont
fait remarquer avec raison Lodge et Myers, comme cela est Evident pour
toutes les personnes qui ont assiste aux experiences d'Eusapia ; les
phenomenes n'ont pas lieu par surprise ; on est prevenu que quelque
chose va se produire par le fremissement, 1'agitation et, si je puis dire,
la tension vibratoire de tout le corps du medium. C'est done a ce
moment que tout naturellement on redouble d'attention ; et qu'on tient
le mieux les mains du medium. A moins d'etre bien detestable expe"ri-
mentateur, on ne va pas choisir le moment decisif, le moment de
1'experience, pour laisser la main libre.
Ce n'est pas tout. Meme si la main — ce que je ne crois nullement —
.a pu se liberer, il faut encore qu' elle revienne en place : or le phenomene
vient de se produire : on en a e"te formellement averti. Pour que, a ce
moment meme, on soit repris par une main qu'on a quittee un instant,
•et qu'on ne s'aper9oive pas de cette substitution, il faut vraimenb une
dose de trouble ou de ne'gligence qui me parait un peu forte.
Meme j'admettrais que j'ai commis une fois, deux fois, dix fois,
vingt fois, cette negligence difficile a comprendre ; ce que je n'admets
pas, c'est que, ne songeant pas autre chose, poursuivi, hante, par cette
preoccupation unique de ne pas abandonner la main que je tiens, j'ai
•ete deux cents ou trois cents fois assez leger (pour ne pas dire plus) pour
ne m'etre pas apergu que j'avais lache la main, et qu' apres la production
-du phenomene, Eusapia avait habilement replace" sa main dans la mienne.
Et cette legerete impardonnable, je ne serais par seul a 1'avoir commise.
M. Aksakoff, M. Schiaparelli, M. J. Finzi, M. Siemiradsky, M. de/
.Schrenck-Notzing, M. Ochorowicz, M. Segard, M. O. Lodge, M. Fred
Myers, M. et Madame Sidgwick, tous, les uns et les autres, vingt fc/J5
quarante fois, cinquante fois, nous aurions laisse se faire ces substitutions
de main, pre'cisernent au moment meme ou notre attention devait etre
•et e"tait le plus fortement eveill^e.
Et puis, — et c'est la un point sur lequel il faut insister — quand un
habile prestidigitateur a fait un tour inge"nieux, il ne veut pas le
recommencer ; il sait bien que si, devant le meme public, il refait le coup
qui a reussi, a la seconde, ou a la troisieme, ou a la quatrieme fois, son
true sera de voile*. Ici c'est tout autre chose. Devant le meme public,
attentif, qui cherche constamment a la prendre en faute, e'tudie minu-
tieusement toutes les conditions de 1'experience, Eusapia consent a recom-
mencer presque inde"finiment les memes phenomenes, de maniere meme
a lasser notre patience ; tant toutes les stances se ressemblent. Qui en
a vu une en a vu cent ; et il n'y a d'autre profit a assister a beaucoup
d'experiences, que de devenir de plus en plus experimente et capable de
les juger.
II me parait done impossible de se refuser a admettre la proposition
rsuivante.
72 Professeur Richet. [MAR.-ApR.,i895v
Alors qu'on tient solidement, ou qu'on croit tenir, les deux mains
d' Eusapia, une main vivante est perdue, tantot par celui qui tient les
mains d°Eusapia, tantot par un autre des assistants.
Mais, je 1'avouerai, toute cette discussion repose sur un fait de
sensibilite tactile : la notion qu'on a, ou qu'on croit avoir, les deux
mains du medium bien tenues. II est possible qu'il y ait la place d
quelque illusion. A vrai dire, la sensation est tellement nette (aussi
bien celle des deux mains tenues, que celle de la main etrangere
perque) que je me refuse provisoirernent a croire que c'est une illusion,
et je m'y refuserai jusque a ce qu'un prestidigitateur quelconque puisse
me faire croire que je tiens ses deux mains bien solidement fixees dans
les miennes, alors qu'il a en realite pu liberer une de ses deux mains,
tout en me faisant croire que je les tiens toutes les deux.
C'est \k a mon sens Pexperience fondamentale ; mais la critique de
M. Hodgson porte aussi sur d'autres points.
Je prendrai d'abord les experiences de soulevement de la table, et
spe'cialement de la grosse table de 1m.2 de surface et de 1m. de c6te,
pesant 22 kilogrammes. Cette table est sans rebord. La hauteur des
pieds est de Om. 75c. Les pieds sont terminus en pointe, de maniere a
rendre presque impossible le soulevement par une pression exercee au-
dessous de ces pieds pointus. Je 1'avais fait construire a Hyeres, et,
quand elle nous fut apportee dans File Roubaud, Ochorowicz et moi
nous pensames qu'Eusapia, meme avec le secours de la force dite
psychique, ne pourrait la soulever. Mais, a notre extreme surprise,
nos craintes furent dejouees. Le soir meme, dans les conditions
ordinaires, il y cut trois soulevements complets de la table, qui pendant
une ou deux secondes quitta completement le sol.
L'expe"rience me parait tout a fait decisive ; car, en maniant nous-
meine cette table, et en faisant durant plusieurs jours une serie d'essais,
nous avons pu constater qu'il n'y a que trois manieres de soulever la
table — (et, par parenthese, je serais fort heureux que M. Hodgson prit
la peine, pour une guinee, tout au plus, de faire construire en bois de
sapin une table semblable, de maniere a pouvoir controler nos affir-
mations).
On peut soulever cette table de 22 kil. : —
A. En se penchant sur la table et en la prenant avec les deux mains
portdes en avant, a environ Om. 50c. du cotd ou on est debout. Mais il
faut de"ployer toute sa force. Malgre ma grande taille (1m. 85c.) c'est
a peine si j'y arrive.
B. En se plagant sous la table et en la soulevant avec le dos.
C. En e"tant assis, en faisant une contrepression avec les mains, et
en allongeant une jambe, de maniere a soulever la table avec une jambe
allonge"e, le creux du jarret de cette jambe prenant son point d'appui
sur le genou du c6t6 oppose*. C'est la me'thode qui me semblerait la
plus commode, mais elle n'est possible que si Fon a de tres grandes
jambes et si Fon de"ploie beaucoup de force.
Eusapia a-t-elle pu, dans les conditions ou la levitation de cette table
a e"te obtenue, opeYer par Fun ou Fautre de ces precedes ?
MAU. -APR., 1895.] Experiences avec Eusapia Paladino. 73
Je rappelerai qu'elle etait debout, etroitement serree entre les deux
experimentateurs (Ochorowicz et moi dans trois levitations — Myers et
Lodge dans deux autres) ; que Fun de ses voisins lui tenait une main
appliquee a plat sur la table, et que 1'autre voisin lui tenait 1'autre
main levee en I'air, ou reposant sur la sienne.
Le fait d'etre debout elimine completement 1'hypothese C. : puisque
il faut, pour soulever ainsi la table, etre assis. De 1'hypothese B., il ne
peut etre question. Quant a 1'hypothese A., elle n'est pas dependable \
par cette raison qu'Eusapia ne touchait la table que d'une main, et
encore a plat sur la table, 1'autre main e"tant entierement tenue par
nous.
Je le repete ; 1'experience peut etre refaite par M. Hodgson. II est
impossible avec une seule main de soulever une pareiile table.
Reste la supposition des crochets, des cordes, des appareils ; eh
bien ! il n'y a pas moyen d'admettre cette supercherie. Nulle trace
d'erosion sur cette table, en bois mou, toute neuve. Meme en supposant
que nous ayions laisse Eusapia, serree de pres par nous, et dont nous
ne lachions pas, semble-t-il, les mains, se munir d'une corde et de la
passer sous la table, je ne vois pas comment avec cette corde elle aurait
pu soulever par le cou ou les e"paules cette lourde table. D'ailleurs,
pour quiconque a assiste a cette experience, l'ide"e d'une corde est tout
a fait invraisemblable. Mais il y a mieux ; a moins de supposer a
Eusapia la force de deux hommes tres vigoureux, il y a une impossibility
materielle a soulever par une corde une pareiile table des quatre pieds,
lorsque une seule main est legerement appuyee sur la table.
Des photographies nombreuses (au magnesium) ont ete prises, qui
moiitrent la maniere dont la table (il ne s'agit plus de la grosse table,
mais d'une table plus legere, de 7 kil.) est soulevee. II n'y a evidem-
ment ni crochet, ni corde, ni appareil. La seule hypothese, je ne cu^ r ;
vraisemblable, mais discutable, c'est qu' Eusapia met un de ses pieds
(le pied droit) sous le pied gauche de la table, et, faisant contrepression
avec la main, obtient ainsi un soulevement. Mais, dans nombre de
photographies, cette hypothese ne peut etre admise ; par exemple
lorsque la table est soulevee quand Eusapia se tient par le cote large,
ou encore lorsque on applique la main sur les deux genoux qu'on
maintient immobiles, ou encore lorsque Eusapia est debout. En tout
cas avec la grande table de 22 kil. cela est impossible, et c'est ce qui me
fait considerer comme ayant une valeur prepond^rante 1'experienoe
faite avec cette lourde table.
Ce ne sont la que les principales experiences ; celles qui sont le plus
communes ; il en est quantite d'autres, presque absolument inexplic-
ables par 1'hypothese de la prestidigitation. Par exemple, en presence
de M. et de Madame Sidgwick, en demi-lumiere, les deux mains
d' Eusapia etant bien tenues et vues sur la table ; la tete et la bouche
e'tant tenues par un des assistants ; les deux pieds. tenus par un autre
assistant qui etait par terre ; a diverses reprises, nous avons entendu
frapper des notes sur un piano voisin. Ou bien encore un objet
volumineux (un melon) pesant 7-200 kil., place sur une chaise derriere
Eusapia, se trouve doucement apporte sur la table, et sur cette meme
74 Professeur Richet. [MAR — APR., isos.
table souleve a diverses reprises, pendant que les deux mains sont tenues
par la meme personne ; — ou encore, en demi-lumiere, alors que les pieds
sont dans 1'appareil eiectrique qui fonctionne tres regulierement, les
deux mains etant vues de tout le monde et levees en 1'air, en meme
temps qu'elles sont tenues, un harmonium place a terre joue non pas des
airs, mais des notes s^parees, et nous entendons comme la pression des
doigts sur les touches. Ou encore, un appareil eiectrique etant adapte
a une balance romaine, de maniere a donner une assez vive lumiere des
que la balance est remue"e (poids de plus de 8 kil. ne"cessaire pour faire
mouvoir la balance) ; nous ob tenons le mouvement de la bascule
sans rien voir d'anormal ; les pieds et les mains etant d'ailleurs tenus
comme d'habitude. Ou encore — et c'est peut-etre le phenomene le plus
surprenant, au milieu de toutes ces choses etranges — a travers les vete-
ments une marque de crayon est faite sur la chemise de Fun de nous, et,
ce qui est plus surprenant encore, sur une page blanche, notre doigt,
parfaitement propre, tragant cinq fois de suite, en pleine lumiere, des
marques de crayon.
Mais je n'insiste pas sur cette nombreuse se*rie de phe'noinenes.
Nous les reprendrons, et nous les exposerons sans doute, bientot, en
indiquant quels sont les points essentiels. Ici nous avons voulu seule-
ment re"pondre a cette objection de M. Hodgson que nous avions
precede a la le'gere. Je ne crois pas que ce reproche soit tout a fait
merite. De tous les controles possibles, le contrdie de notre sens tactile
est le plus precis, et c'est a celui-la que nous nous en sommes rapportes.
Dans toutes les sciences, il s'agit toujours d'un phenomene accessible a
un sens, et le sens du toucher, quand malheureusement il n'y a pas
moyen de se servir du sens de la vue, est un des plus exacts.
Comme le disait tres bien O. Lodge, c'est sans le moindre
enthousiasme que nous arrivons a la conclusion que ces faits sont vrais.
II est meme vraiment pe"nible de constater la ve'rite' de ces phenomenes
deux fois absurdes, absurdes par la grossierete' et 1'insignifiance de ces
manifestations ridicules, absurdes, parce qu'ils sont en contradiction
avec tous les faits connus.
Un autre sentiment bien pe*nible, c'est de constater qu'il n'y a
aucun progres dans les manifestations me"dianimiques obtenues. C'est
toujours la meme chose ; et nulle Education ne parait possible. Quelle
difference entre cette methode empirique d'experimentation, et la
methode scientifique, qui, apres chaque experience, aboutit a un
nouveau progres ! ce progres, si petit qu'il soit, reste acquis, et acquis
pour toujours. Ici, au contraire, il semble que tout soit toujours a
recommencer. Je me souviens, pour prendre un exemple qui m'est
personnel, qu'en etudiant il y a quelques annees la regulation thermique
des animaux par la polypne"e, pendant pres de deux ans, par de
laborieuses experiences, j'arrivais a en donner la th^orie, et a indiquer
les experiences ne*cessaires. Mais chaque pas que je faisais restait
acquis, et, au fur et a mesure que j'avangais, je voyais se developper
la the"orie qui marchait avec le progres des experiences ; et c'etait une
vraie joie scientifique ; car, s'il n'y a pas quelque theorie rationnelle
derriere les faits, nulle satisfaction pour le savant. Mais, dans les
THAR.— APR., 1895.} Reponse a M. Hodgson. 75
experiences de Milan, de Rome et de File Roubaud, nous n'avons eu
.que la douleur scientinque d'assister a des faits qui confondent 1'intelli-
gence, qui sont absurdes, et que nulle theorie, si audacieuse qu'elle soit,
ne peut avoir la prevention d'expliquer, meme pour la plus minime part.
Quoi qu'il en soit, ce sont des faits. Nous avons tache de les bien
observer ; et notre devoir etait de le dire.
• Y a-t-il eu une cause ou des causes graves d'erreur 1 C'est possible,
et il faudrait etre bien te"meraire pour oser dire, " Je ne me suis pas
trompe." Encore faudra-t-il nous montrer ou est la cause de notre
erreur.
REPONSE A M. HODGSON.
PAR LE DR. J. OCHOROWICZ.
CHER MONSIEUR MYERS, — J'ai lu avec plaisir les epreuves que vous
avez bien voulu m'envoyer : la philippique de M. le Dr. Hodgson et
votre reponse. Je les ai lues avec plaisir toutes les deux, car si,
comme vous le devinez, ma position est pres de vous, je considere
ndanmoins Farticle de M. Hodgson comme tres remarquable et tres
utile.
II est remarquable, parce qu'il denote une connaissance approfondie
-des trues medianimiques ; il est utile, parce que, au moment ou la science
va s'occuper de ces choses, le plus severe examen des temoignages est a
sa place. Nous n'avons pas deux opinions la-dessus.
Mais M. le Dr. Hodgson a un tort ; celui de ne pas avoir assiste
aux experiences.
II en est re"sulte une se"rie d'objections, generalement tres j ^^
spirituelles meme, mais tout dfait inapplicdbles dansle cas special.
II est vrai qu' Eusapia aurait pu mettre un poids de quelques livres,
pour abaisser une pedale de notre appareil electrique. Seulement, pour
mettre un poids, il faut 1'avoir, et elle ne 1'avait pas.
II est vrai qu' a la place de son pied elle aurait pu mettre " a dummy
foot " dans 1'appareil en question. Mais nous, qui 1'avons examinee
continuellement, nous savons que ce " dummy foot " n'existait pas.
Elle aurait pu appuyer les deux pedales avec le meme pied — mais
pas dans notre appareil, qui avait une cloison longue et large, rendant,
impossible la reunion des deux planches.
Elle aurait pu abaisser la pedale avec la pointe de son pied gauche,
tandis que le talon du meme pied provoquait le " gonflement " de sa
robe — mais, comme ses pieds e*taient enfonce's sous la table et que la robe
se gonflait & cote de sa chaise, il aurait fallu admettre que lesdoigts de
son pied gauche d^passent d'un demi-metre le talon, ce qui nous a paru
difficile.
Le gonflement de la robe aurait pu etre provoque par un instrument
special, plus ou moins ingenieux — mais M. Lodge n'a pas cru devoir en
parler, parce que, examinant immediatement la robe, nous n'y avons
rien trouve".
76 Dr. Ochoroivicz. [MAR— APR., 1395
Elle aurait pu fourrer une de ses bottines dans la fente entre la
pedale et la boite, en de"chaussant clandestinement son pied — inais
d'abord la fente etait trop petite pour cela, et ensuite ses bottines ont
e"te retirees et placees a une distance convenable.
Elle aurait pu faire mieux que cela, en re"unissant tout simplement
les deux fils conducteurs pour arreter la sonnerie, sans mettre les pieds
dans 1'appareil — mais elle ne 1'a pas fait, parce que, meme supposant des
connaissances ne'cessaires pour le faire, les fils etaient soigneusement
isoles et disposes, en prevision de cette manoeuvre ; et d'ailleurs,
1'appareil a ete examine et essay e au moins une dizaine de fois au cours
d'une seance.
Par consequent, tout en reconnaissant la perspicacite theorique de
1'auteur, M. Lodge ne peut pas s'avouer convaincu d'un manque de
prudence, ayant prevu les objections qu'on lui fait, et peut-etre d'autres
encore.
II en est quelques-unes cependant. Par exemple : lorsque M. Lodge
affirme " there was light enough to see the position of everybody's
normal hands," je ne comprends pas pour quelle raison M. le Dr. Hodg-
son suppose entre autres, que M. Lodge a pu confondre une main
artificielle avec une main vivante, qu 'il voyait et qu 'il tenait dans la
siennt ! Surtout si M. Lodge ajoute : "It was a perfectly distinct
phenomenon." .
Non ! n'exagerons pas ! II est bon d'etre mefiant, il est bon d'etre
severe, mais il faut aussi avoir un peu de foi dans ^intelligence et 1&
bonne volonte des chercheurs qui ont fait leur preuves, et qui, en affir-
mant des choses apparemment absurdes, risquent leur renomme"e
scientifique. Dans les sciences acquises on leur accorde une confiance
enornie ; je comprends qu'on la diminue de beau coup lorsqu'il s'agit
d'une categorie nouvelle de phenomenes, mais ce n'est pas encore une
raison pour les traiter d'imbeciles.
Certes, il y a dans le rapport de 1'eminent professeur de Liverpool
de nombreuses omissions, et ce sont uniquement ces omissions qui
donnent a M. Hodgson 1'apparence d'une raison. Mais il y avait pour
cela plusieurs causes :
(1.) Vous vous rappelez, cher M. Myers, que les notes immediateset
abrege'es d'une seule seance, ou je vous ai servi de secretaire (seance
decrite par M. Lodge en deux pages dans le Journal) contenaient 23-
pages d'ecriture. Si on y mettait toutes vos paroles, concernant le
controle de toutes les minutes, cela occuperait peut-etre une centaine
de pages, sans compter les descriptions detaillees, sans compter les
reflexions individuelles qui n'ont pas ete prononce"es a la seance, et les
discussions, essais, verifications du lendemain qui ont dure souvent
plusieurs heures. II aurait fallu mettre tout cela dans le rapport de-
M. Lodge pour convaincre M. le Dr. Hodgson. Et encore ! II
trouverait toujours moyen de lui reprocher 1'omission d'un " bouton
deboutonne " qui cachait peut-etre " a light strong band " servant a
soulever les tables. Ah, quel dommage que M. Hodgson n'ait pas ete
la, pour voir que certaines photographies de la levitation des tables ont
MAR.— APR., 1895.] Reponse d M. Hodgson. 77
e'te faites en plein soleil du midi et que les robes blanches ou noires,
boutons et rubans, n'y jouaient absolument aucun role !
(2.) M. le Dr. Hodgson ne salt pas, ce quesavait M. Lodge, que les
experiences de Varsovie (1893-4) ont mis hors de doute 1'absence de
toute sorte d'instruments speciaux dans les productions de la Paladino.
Eusapia a ete fouillee, deshabillee, habillee, a plusieurs reprises, par
une commission de medecins, avant, pendant, et apres les seances, et on
n'a jamais trouve rien de suspect. Pour ma part je 1'ai observee, en
examinant souvent ses poches, ses cheveux et ses vetements, pendant
deux mois dans ma maison a Varsovie, pendant deux mois chez M. le
Prof. Ch. Richet dans File Roubaud, et je puis affirmer qu'elle n'apporte
avec elle ni instruments speciaux, aussi minimes qu'ils soient, ni sub-
stances chimiques, pouvant servir a ses experiences. J'ajoute que
je connais les trues des mystificateurs, dont parle M. Hodgson (sauf le
petit appareil pour imiter les coups f rappes, ce qui d'ailleurs peut etre
fait d'une fa9On beaucoup plus simple) et quelques autres (comme par
exemple les anneaux a pointes, dont se servait MmeFay pour soulever les
petites tables) — et qu'un prestidigitateur de profession, M. Rybka, qui
imite tres bien certains phenomenes medianimiques, invite par moi pour
contr6ler une seance d'Eusapia, avait declare publiquement 1'absence
de toute machination et 1'impossibilit^ de reproduire artificiellement les
memes phenomenes, dans les memes conditions.
(3.) Dans les 74 seances d'Eusapia auxquelles j'ai assiste, j'ai eu
1'occasion d'observer plusieurs particularity's interessantes au point de
vue physiologique, concernant la purete des phenomenes. II est rare
•qu'une seance avec le medium napolitain ne donne absolument rien (ce
•qui arrive cependant lorsqu'elle est trop epuise'e). Mais elles ont une
valeur bien differente : elles sont bonnes, mediocres, ou, bien rarement,
tout a fait mauvaises. J'appelle une stance bonne ou mauvaise, n^-. ^ ->
d'apres le nombre et 1'eclat des manifestations, mais d'apres leur pre-
cision et leur nettete, qui facilitent le contrdle. C'est dans les seances
mauvaises qu'apparait la fraude inconsciente, d'ailleurs tout a fait
inseparable de la mediumnite inferieure, et que je serais tente d'appeler
la fraude reflexe. Le controle devient alors difficile, mais avec de la
patience on arrive a constater les tromperies, qui sont toutes d'un
caractere enfantin. Je ne parle pas de la tromperie consciente, car
elle n'a jamais e'te prouvee chez Eusapia, et parait etre en contradiction
avec son caractere franc, loyal et desinteresse. M. Lodge et vou's,
vous avez eu la chance de tomber sur une se"rie de bonnes seances —
voila pourquoi les doutes ont ete vite dissipe"s et le Rapport a pu etre
allege d'une quantite de suppositions, developpees par M. Hodgson et
negligees par M. Lodge.
M. le Dr. Hodgson insiste avec raison sur le point principal du
•controle — la bonne tenue des mains; mais il parait oublier, que, malgre
les apparences, la valeur de cette constatation est toujours plutot sub-
jective qu'objective et que ce n'est pas le nombre de centimetres,
carres de la surface converte par notre main, qui decide de la surete
du contrdle, mais une foule de petites circonstances, qui caangent
78 Dr. Ochorowicz.
[MAR.— APR., 1895i
& chaque moment, par consequent bien difficiles a decrire, et qui
determinent dans 1'esprit du controleur ce sentiment subjectifde certi-
tude ou de doute dont il nous rend compte. Un seul doigt, tenu sans
interruption, a une distance convenable, peut quelquefois nous inspirer
plus de certitude, qu'une main entierement serree, mais dont le bras,
plie conserve assez de liberte pour agir; par exemple, avec le coude. De
sorte que, pourvu que le controleur connaisse pratiquement le true de
la substitution, dans toutes ses nuances, il trouvera f acilement plusieurs
moyens de bien tenir une main, et nous autres, ne pouvant pas etre
juges de toutes les particular! tes du moment, nous serons tou jours
obliges de lui accorder une certaine dose de contiance — si nous voulons
en general nous baser sur le temoignage d'autrui. Quelquefois,
Eusapia nous aidait elle-meme ; elle serrait, par exemple, avec force
la main du controleur A. tandis qu'elle tenait tranquillement celle du
controleur B. pour bien montrer que ce n'est pas la merne main, qu'elle
donnait a eux deux.* De 1'autre cdte nous avons essaye, surtout a
Varsovie, a peu pres tous les moyens de controle possibles — cordons,,
ligatures elastiques, fils de cuivre, contacts electriques sur la table ou
avec les controleurs, etc., et nous sommes arrives tous (c'est a dire tous-
ceux qui ont expe'rimente un temps suffisant) a reconnaitre la realite
des phenomenes. M. Lodge, ap.res avoir mentionne' les incertitudes du
controle, dit avec raison : "Occurrences too close to the medium, and
in the dark, must remain open to some shadow of this doubt ; but with
patience and more sittings it is extremely unlikely that such dubious
phenomena will be the only ones displayed. Sometimes the thing
moved will be beyond the reasonable range of any such hypothesis ;
sometimes there will be light enough to see that there is no normal
contact ; and, as in my case also, sometimes one will feel the suspicious
contact while one has hold oneself of both hands and both feet of the
medium, with the head visible, or otherwise under control ; in fact,
sooner or later, the thing will occur in such a way as to render the
hypothesis of self-deception the only one possible, short of admitting
the fact as it is." (Report, p. 321.)
Que re"pond M. le Dr. Hodgson a cette experience ? II repond
comme toujours par une question : " comment les mains et les pieds ont
e'te' tenus 1 " et il passe outre. Pense-t-il qu'il est reellement possible,
a un homme normal, de croire qu'il tient les deux mains lorsqu'il n'a.
qu'une seule, ou de prendre sa propre main pour celle d'autrui ?
Je me rappelle, que pendant une de nos experiences (le 25 Aout,
1894) M. le Prof. Sidgwick de*clarait etre sur de la main gauche ;
M. le Dr. von Schrenck-Notzing affirmait qu'il tenait bien la main
droite et touchait la tete ; moi je tenais les deux jambes avec mes deux
mains, et en outre M. Richet, avec une de ses mains, couvrait la bouche
du medium — «t dans ces conditions nous avons entendu deux notes
frappees sur le piano, qui se trouvait a gauche et derriere le dos
* Et lorsqu 'une main n'a 4te tenue que partiellement, nous ne disions pas, "je
tiens bien la main " ou " je suis sur de la main," mais " je tiens un quart, trois quarts,
le poignet, deux doigts," et ainsi de suite. II etait inutile de mettre dans le Rapport
les cas ou les mains ont ete mal tenues.
[MAR. -APR., 1895 Reponse a M. Hodgson. 79
d'Eusapia. Immediatement apres, nous avons allume la lumiere et
verifi^ que les positions etaient telles qu'elles etaient decrites par les
controleurs.
M. le Dr. Hodgson serait-il satisfait d'une pareille experience?
Non. II demandrait toujours : " What were the details of these
holdings ? " Mon Dieu, il aurait raison — il faudrait savoir tout, photo-
graphier tout et " phonographier " tout. Mais pour cela il faut fonder
un " Laboratoire medianimique avectoutes les ressources de la science "
Et quant aux " holdings," ils resteront toujours affaire de confianc e.
Pour ma part, par exemple, je dois avouer, que dans cette experience,
par moments, je n'ai pas du tout " tenu " les deux jambes. Je les
entourais seulement de mes deux bras reunis — et cependant j'etais
absolument sur qu'aucun des pieds du medium n'a pu s'echapper un
seul instant.
C'est une affaire de sentiment subjectif.
En somme, nous avons fait de notre mieux pour nous convaincre
nous-memes — ce qui etait deja bien difficile — et nous n'avons aucune pre-
tention de convaincre les autres. Tout ce que nous demandons, c'est que
les autres f assent des efforts semblables avant d'etre nos juges Que le
monde scientifique recommence nos experiences, et le but de M. Lodge,
notre but a nous tous, sera pour le moment atteint.
Quand a 1'analyse de M. le Dr. Hodgson, elle est excellente, et j'en
recommandrais la lecture a tous les savants qui voudront s'occuper du
me'dianimisine. Mais il se trompe s'il croit que ses objections ont
ebranle la realite des phenomenes medianimiques (je ne dis pas spirites)et
infirme en quoi que ce soit la valeur essentielle du rapport de M. Lodge.
Varsovie, le 28 Janvier, 1895.
CATALOGUE OF UNPRINTED CASES.
(Continued from the December JOURNAL.)
Further information improving the evidence in any of these cases
will be gratefully received.
B L 183. Through American Branch. From Mrs. Y. Z. — (1) Her hus-
band is impelled to buy oysters, and finds on coming home that she had
specially desired him to do so. (2) She has veridical impression as to her
sister's illness. (3) She sees repeatedly — from age of about 5 upwards, and
again when aged 20 — an apparition of a little old woman. (4) Veridical
impressions as to arrival of friends. Recorded in 1890,
B L 184. — (1) Simultaneous apparition. Mrs. R. sees apparition of two
girls in her bedroom. The same night a friend in another place sees
similar apparition in her room. Recorded : 1892 ; it happened " about a year
ago." (2) Mrs. R. when a child had impression that medicine just sent to
her father was poison. Her mother took it back to the doctor and gathered
that she was right about it.
B L 185. — Experimental. Numerous instances of thought-transference
from Mr. I. N. in his own house, spontaneous and experimental. Occurred
a few years ago ; not reported at time.
80 Catalogue of Unprinted Cases. [MAR. -APR., isos.
B L 186. Dream. 3rd hand. — Miss McC. wrote to Mrs. H. describing
illness of Mrs. P., and asking Mrs. H. to tell their mutual friend, Colonel
A. Soon after Mrs. H. received letter, Colonel A. called and stated that he
had had unpleasant dream about Mrs. P., whom he saw on a sofa with
peculiar change in her face. — Mrs. H. then read Miss McC.'s letter, in which
this change in Mrs. P. 's face was specially mentioned. Recorded in 1891 by
a lady who recently heard the facts from Miss McC.
B L 187. Auditory. 3rd hand,'as good as 2nd. — Through Rev. J. Hart-
man Fisher. The Rev. H. Philpot, of Abaco, Bahamas, was in England
seriously ill. Late one Sunday night a member of his church in the
Bahamas heard the organ playing, and told Mr. Viner Bethel (who confirms)
in the morning. We learn from the Rev. H. Philpot's brother that he
died early on the following Wednesday, having been speechless 3 days.
Date : June, 1890. Recorded July, 1891.
B L 188. Ad Pn Visual. 2nd hand, as good as first. — On two occasions
Mr. Viner Bethel's son announced that certain neighbours were on the
premises. Search proved this to be a mistake, and it turned out that the
persons died at about the time. Dates : 1879 and 1884. Recorded 1891.
B L 189. — Mrs. P.'s housekeeper, Mrs. S. (who has been interviewed by
Mr. Myers), records that ever since childhood she has occasionally had
correct impressions of events which were actually happening or which were
about to happen — impressions being sometimes so vivid as to become actual
visions. Sometimes she has seen distinct figures of persons who turned out
to be dying at the time ; and once of her dead brother. Several instances
recorded in December, 1889. No confirmation available.
B L 190. Dream. Through American Branch. — Mr. W. V. Wadleigh
dreams that his neighbour, Mrs. Clark, who has recently been called away
to see her sick father, tells him of her father's death, and that she will not
return till after funeral. During next day Mr. Clark informs Mr. Wadleigh
that his wife has written announcing her father's death and that she will
return after funeral. Date : April, 1891. Recorded May, 1891.
B L 191. Ad Pn Auditory. Miss J. heard noise like pistol shot ; not
heard by two other ladies sitting in same room. For the succeeding 10 days
she experienced acute depression and disquieting dreams about her brother
in America, of whom she began to expect bad news, or that he would arrive
ill. At last news came of his suicide by pistol shot, which occurred about
the time of above impression. Date : February, 1889. Recorded August,
1891.
B L 192. Ad Pn Collective Visual. Through Mrs. Reynolds.— Mrs.
Parker and her friend Miss Cooper see latter's brother on the stairs at the
time he dies ; they do not speak of the matter to each other until after the
news arrives. The young man's mother, in another town, is also said to have
heard his voice call her by name at the same time. Date : January, 1876.
Recorded May, 1891.
B L 193. A^ Pn Visual. Borderland. Through Lord Bute.— Mrs.
Shaw, during a period of ill health, saw old school friend, H. B., at foot of
bed. She told her nurse, who saw nothing. When doctor called next day
he announced illness of H. B., when Mrs. Shaw intimated that she knew
her friend was dead — which was true. No confirmation. Date : ' ' years
ago." Recorded December, 1890.
BL 194. Ad Pn Visual. Through Lord Bute.— Mrs. Shaw has nephew
at Mentone for his health. No special anxiety on his account. One night
(10 o'clock summer) she met his apparition at her mother's gate, and noted
details of costume. Before she could speak figure vanished. Telegram
announced death at that hour. Date: "years ago." Recorded December,
1890.
No. CXIX.— VOL. VII. MAY, 1895.
JOURNAL
OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGE
New Members and Associates 81
Meeting of the Council 81
General Meeting 82
The Holy well "Cures." By the Rev. A. T. Fryer ..85
Correspondence : —
On Experiments with Eusapia Paladino 93
Dipsomania and Hypnotism 36
Catalogue of Unprinted Cases 96-
NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.
Names of Members are printed in Black Type.
Names of Associates are printed in SMALL CAPITALS.
'ELLIS, MRS. ROBERT, 4, Ryletb-road, Ravenscourt Park, W.
MAUD, Miss CONSTANCE, Sanderstead Rectory, near Croydon.
Wilberforce, Rev. Canon Basil, M.A., 20, Dean's Yard, London,
MURRAY, DONALD, M. A., Sydney Morning Herald Office, Sydney, N.S.W,
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
GAY, WALTER, 73, Rue Ampere, Paris.
KIMBALL, DR. F. H., Rockford, 111.
LOVE, CHARLES A., M.D., Malvern, Iowa.
OSBORNE, A. E., M.D., Eldridge, P.O., Sonoma Co., Cal.
PEARSON, Miss E.A., 219, Savin Hill Avenue, Dorchester, Mass.
CATLIN, CAPTAIN R., 1,428, Euclid-place, Washington, D.C.
HARTSHORNE, CHARLES H., 57, Bentley-avenue, Jersey City, N.Y.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A Meeting of the Council was held at the Westminster Town
Hall on Friday, April 5th. Mr. W. Crookes was voted to the chair.
There were also present, Professor H . Sidgwick, Dr. J. M. Bramwell,
Dr. G. F. Rogers, Dr. A. Wallace, and Messrs. T. Barkworth,
F. W. H. Myers, Sydney C. Scott, H. Arthur Smith, and R. Pearsall
Smith.
82 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAT, 1895.
One new Member and three new Associates were elected, whose
names and addresses are given above. The elections of seven new
Associates of the American Branch was recorded.
The Council recorded with regret the death of Mr. J. Shuttle-
worth, an Associate of the Society.
Various other matters having been discussed, the Council agreed
that its next meeting should be at the Rooms of the Society, 19,
Buckingham-street, W. C., on Friday, May 17th, at 4.30 p.m.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 72nd General Meeting of the Society was held at the West-
minster Town Hall on Friday, April 5th, at 4 p. m. ; Professor
Sidgwick in the chair.
PROFESSOR SIDGWICK apologised for the unavoidable absence of
Professor Barrett, who had been unable to complete his paper owing
to press of work arising from the illness of his colleagues at
Dublin.
MR. F. W. H. MYERS then read and commented on various cases of
Premonition, received by the Society since the last discussion of the
subject. It is intended to publish in Proceedings XXVIII., in July,
these and other cases embodied in a paper on " The Relation to Time
of Subliminal Faculty." In introducing the cases, Mr. Myers
remarked that the evidence for precognition was now much stronger
than when Mrs. Sidgwick published her paper in 1888. Especially
there was now a certain infusion of actual experiment into this branch
of the inquiry, owing to the occasional perception in crystals or other
specula of visions of future events. There had been several cases of
such prevision, and he earnestly hoped that very many more
experiments of the kind would be made.
A number of cases of organic prediction were then read. The
speaker urged that it was inherently probable that the subliminal self,
possessing a profounder knowledge of the organism, would also be
able to form a more certain prognosis. Many predictions of disease
or death might thus be predictions only in the sense in which a
physician's prognosis predicts the events which his trained observation
infers from existing facts.
In other cases, where a prediction of death, perhaps at some
distant date, was known to the subject of the prediction, it was an
interesting question how far, and by what organic mechanism, his
own self-suggestion tended to bring about the fulfilment of the
MAT, 1895.] General Meeting. 83
prophecy. If he was visibly made depressed and anxious, vitality
would of course be lowered ; but where there was no visible
constitutional effect, it seemed a good deal of power to attribute to
self-suggestion if we supposed it capable of actually arresting the
heart. He (the speaker) would be glad to hear of any hypnotic
experiments in slowing the pulse, besides those of Professor Beaunis.
In other cases, again, the prediction was either unknown to the
subject, or was fulfilled in what seemed an accidental manner.
•Quoting a remarkable narrative from Dr. "Wiltse, where a series of
pictures foreshadowed the accidental death of a man entirely
unknown to the seer, the speaker remarked that in such pictures,
•extraneously presented, we had the nearest approach to a revelation
of destiny ; and consequently the best opportunity for actual
experiment as to whether destiny — or this prefigurement of it — was
in fact modifiable by man's will or not.
DR. MILNE BRAMWELL, commenting on Mr. Myers' remarks, said
that the lowering of the pulse by suggestion was an experiment which
lie had frequently repeated. In one case, the sphyginographic
tracing showed a lowering from 60 or 70 to 40, the pulse then being
•raised to 150, and he was disposed to think that the limits were
defined solely by his own fears as to the safety of the patient. In this
case, he had merely suggested that the pulse should beat slower or faster,
And did not know what mental mechanism was used by the patient to
effect the result. In another case he produced the same effect, not by
direct suggestion, but by suggesting, e.g., in order to raise the pulse
rate, that the patient was running to catch a train, carrying a heavy
bag, etc., and then lowered the pulse by depressing ideas, such as that
the patient was ill, bankrupt, etc. He had recently tried a similar
experiment in Dr. Waller's laboratory, and raised the pulse of the
patient 20 per cent. In these cases it is suggestion that evokes the
phenomenon, so that where suggestion can operate we cannot regard
the fore-seeing of a result as genuine premonition. The prediction
should relate to some one other than the person making it, and should
be unknown to the person concerned.
With regard to the possible influence of suggestion in bringing
about death, he did not know through his personal experience of any
case where the idea that death would occur at a specific time was
realised, but he knew of cases where the statement of the doctor
had had a serious effect. He had been acquainted with two medical
practitioners, one of whom, though his treatment was old-fashioned
and unenlightened, being of a cheerful disposition, always led his
patients to think they would recover ; while the other, a much
84 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAT, 1895.
cleverer and more scientific man, unfortunately took a depressed view
of his cases, and inspired the patients and their attendants with
gloomy prognostications. The first saved a large percentage of his
cases, and the second had a marked effect in increasing the mortality
in that town.
PROFESSOR SIDGWICK referred to a story he had often heard —
though not on good authority — of a criminal who was told that he
would be bled to death, and had his eyes bandaged and an
insignificant puncture made and warm water trickled down his arm,
in consequence of which he died. He asked Dr. Bramwell whether
he knew any facts tending to show that this was likely to be true.
DR. BRAMWELL had heard variations of the same story, and
thought it quite possible that death might be produced in this way.
MR. H. A. SMITH said that similar cases were asserted to occur in
some tribes — of South Sea Islanders, he thought — a prediction of
death in case of certain events being made and the man in question
dying accordingly. But his impression was that the man who died
always knew of the prediction. He asked Mr. Myers with reference
to the lady who predicted her death in five years, whether there was
any medical evidence as to the cause of death, and how exact the
period was. He also enquired whether in cases of delirium tremens
any accurate predictions of the termination of the fit were known
to have been made. If it were true that in some cases of insanity
fore-knowledge had been shown of the issue of the complaint, it might
be so in allied conditions. He had heard of some cases of the kind,
and thought the subject might be worth investigation by doctors.
MR. MYERS said that the lady's husband died on April 28th,
1888, and she herself died on July 29th, 1893. The illness was bilious
fever, and the death apparently occurred from exhaustion afterwards.
It was no doubt true that a prediction relating to some other
person was of more value as evidence for premonition than a similar
prediction relating to the percipient himself, but in the former case
there still might be doubt as to whether the seeds of disease were not
already present. He referred to Professor Richet's paper in the
Proceedings S.P.R., Vol. V., p. 18, giving an account of diagnoses of
diseases and predictions of results made by professional clairvoyants
in several cases, with a greater proportion of success than Professor
Richet thought could be attributed to chance. He also referred to
the diagnoses and prognoses professing to be made by a spirit through
" Miss A. ," many of which had been remarkably successful. It was
unfortunate that in many cases of this kind the evidence could not be
published.
MAY, 1895.] The Holywell " Cures" 85
PROFESSOR SIDGWICK wished to suggest one more point to Mr.
Myers in regard to predictions in the cases which he had communi-
cated to the meeting. Was the prediction always told beforehand to
some other person? The possibility of a pseudo-memory as the
explanation of some premonitions had been strongly urged in some
quarters.
MR. MYERS replied that no doubt paramnesia was a danger to be
guarded against. He thought that it was put forward in an extreme
form, when it was urged that a pseudo-memory might not only
relate to a dream which had not occurred, but to a repeating of this
dream to a party at breakfast which had never taken place ; but, as
a matter of fact, even this extreme form was guarded against in the
cases he had narrated, since there was always evidence from a second
person to whom the prediction had been communicated before
fulfilment.
THE HOLYWELL "CURES."
BY THE REV. A. T. FRYER.
At Holywell, there is a well, a legend, and " cures." The well is
•certainly ancient and provides a never-failing supply of water at the
rate of from ten to twenty tons per minute. The water is good, it
maintains an average temperature of fifty-six degrees, but there are
no peculiar properties to account for the healing which some persons
have derived from bathing in it. The Duke of Westminster has leased
the well to the Corporation for a thousand years, and it is now sub-let
to the Jesuit order. The history of the well before the twelfth century
is wrapped in obscurity. The handsome building erected over the well
was put up by the mother of Henry VII. in 1498.
Pilgrims in their thousands have gone to Holywell during the
year 1894 ; they have been told that, whatever their complaints,
they may hope for cure provided they exercise faith (in God, St. Wine-
fred, and our Lady), and make due use of the waters. Some bathe, others
drink, many apply the water to their eyes or other diseased members ;
all are encouraged to hope by the spectacle of crutches and other
mementoes left behind by favoured pilgrims of this and the last two
centuries. The pilgrims are told the story of St. Winefred, praise-
worthy care being taken to distinguish between the probable and the
uncertain elements of the legend, and a great deal of reliance upon her
good offices is inculcated. The legend in brief is that St. Winefred,
after being committed to the care of St. Beuno by her father, Theuith,
and mother, Gwenlo, and receiving instruction from the saint, was one
86 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAT, 1895
day brutally attacked by Caradoc, son of Alyn, who cut off her head.
Caradoc fell down dead and was swallowed up by the earth; but St.
Winefred's head rolled down the hill and rested where St. Beuno was
saying Mass. There a spring burst forth, and presently St. Beuno
reunited head and body, and St. Winefred lived for fifteen years after,
the head of a community at Gwytherin. Such is the legend : the
explanation of it is another matter. Archdeacon Thomas sees in the
legend and the possible origin of the spring closely connected lines of
derivation ; the natural history being transferred or paralleled in the
legend. The theory involves some philological difficulties, but may yet
receive fuller attention.*
Coming to the occurrences of to-day, it is fair to ask whether the
cures are of such a character as to warrant all that has been said about
them in the public press, and further, whether the records, so far as
they are true, present any phenomena not to be found in connection
with faith- and science-healing, hypnotism, suggestion, and other cura-
tive methods. In presenting the evidence, upon which readers must
exercise their own judgment, it must be premised that careful inquiry
into over fifty cases has shown that very few of the persons " cured"
belong to the educated classes. This is not said in disparagement of
those good people, of whose bona fides no doubt has been raised, but
by way of caution, and to show that care must be exercised in receiving
the statements which the newspapers have freely inserted without
attempting to examine the evidence. To the possible objection that
there is no gainsaying the facts, and that, if one sees a patient borne
helpless into the well and coming out again without any assistance, the
cure is self-evident, and needs no further inquiry, it is sufficient to •
answer that simulation and hysteria are far too common to lead the
experienced to accept even such evidence without very careful diagnosis
and knowledge of the patient's previous history.
On my first visit to the well, August 29th, 1894, I saw Father
Beauclerck, S.J., who expressed his willingness to aid any inquiry into
the cures conducted by the S.P.R., and hoped that medical men would
give their assistance in the investigation. At the midday service, held
at the well, he preached, and during his discourse alluded to the work
of the S.P.R. in establishing the probability of thought-transference,.
and distinctly said that the cures were not to be held as miracles unless
by decision of the Bishop after careful inquiry. After the service
many of the men present bathed, whilst others drank of the water, and
many took supplies away for home use. One patient described to me his
* Further archaeological information and discussion of the legend of Sc. Winefred
is to be found in an article published in The Church Times, of January 4th, 1895.
MAY, 1895.] The Holywell " Cures." 87
cure of hernia, but neither then nor in subsequent correspondence would
he give satisfactory evidence of medical examination before or after the
cure. The hernia was of long standing. The one remarkable feature in
the behaviour of the crowd was intense hope, and many expressed earnest
faith in the goodwill of St. Winefred towards all sufferers. At my
second visit, September 14th, 1894, the crowd was much larger and the
excitement increased, owing to recent cures. On this occasion I visited
the Hospice and interviewed several of the patients, particularly J. H.
(No. 27), who was gaining strength in his limbs and partial recovery
of his voice, after an attack of paralysis through fright. A gentle-
man who has known him for some years, however, has just
reported to me (February 1st, 1895) : — "I have seen J.H. ; he looks a
little better and his speech is perhaps a trifle clearer, but he is quite
unable to follow his employment. His mother tells me that
he is worse than before he went to the well." Another
patient, J. H. (No. 26) reported himself as getting back his voice,
lost through an attack of influenza, and has, since his return, taken
a place in the choir as a bass singer. I can get no definite
medical evidence of the cure, only a letter from an assistant-
surgeon who says that six weeks before October 15th he noticed that
J. H.'s voice was " very defective." The general appearance of the
patients was very similar to that of the groups one sees at a convalescent
home. The sisters seemed very attentive, and did all in their power,
I heard, to encourage hope of recovery.
In accordance with the method observed by the S.P.R. in making
reports of inquiries, the following account of cases is confined to those
about which a trustworthy medical opinion has been received. The
plan followed in making investigation was to note every case reported in
the newspapers, and ask the patient for an autographic account of the
cure and the name of the medical attendant who was acquainted with
the case and had seen the patient after the cure. If the name of the
medical man was sent, application was made direct to him for his
opinion, but I regret that several men have not seen their way to
sending any answer to my inquiries, always made in the name of the
Society.
Most of the patients belong to some religious body, and are by no
means all Roman Catholics, but as the cures are evidently in some
measure the result of faith and suggestion they are, presumably, more
likely to transpire in the cases of persons who habitually exercise the
faculty of faith and submit to influence. The present report has been,
drawn up with a view to encouraging a serious medical experiment, and
is not, of course, to be considered in any other than a scientific aspect.
88 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAY, 1895.
The index figures employed correspond with the record kept whilst
investigation has been going on ; names and addresses can be supplied
on application only with the consent of the writers.
No. 2 ; 18 years of age ; two years last July, whilst working at the pit-
brow, strained herself by carrying a weight beyond her strength. The
injury caused fits and affected her eyes. Visited Holy well, bathed once a
day for three days without improvement. After the third bath, attended
the service and kissed the relic. "Immediately I kissed the relic I felt
a queer feeling in my side where I got hurt, and felt very faintish ; it
nearly knocked me over, and after walking round the well I felt quite
a different person altogether, and my eyes became to feel clearer and
stronger, and ever since I came back I have felt to get stronger a bit
every day. I have not suffered any pain since." The doctor reports: —
" October 22nd, 1894. I am afraid I cannot see much improvement in
her case ; she has been many times during the course of her illness quite
as well as she is now and even better, but she just as often relapses into
the low nervous state from which she has so long suffered."
No. 7. Knee wrenched during football, two years ago. Doctors
did " no good," and a relative bought him a knee cap, which was also
" no good." After two baths " he came in and said he felt his knee as
well and as strong as ever."
The doctor says : — " November 17th, 1894. Acute synovitis resulted
(from the wrench) with the usual symptoms. The swelling quickly
subsided with rest, and in a short time (about a fortnight) the pain
was so much lessened that he would no longer rest the joint absolutely,
but kept going out walking. As this was unsatisfactory to me, I no
longer visited him, but he came occasionally to see me, and on his
last visit the joint was apparently similar to the other as regards
external appearance. He still complained of stiffness. He is now
quite well I am unable to give any information about
the condition during the long interval between my attendance and
now."
No. 10 is described as suffering from greatly impaired digestion and
anaemia : the cure was effected two years ago. The doctor reports: —
" September 27th, 1894. has seemed to recover very quickly from
her neurotic condition during her stay at Holywell I
would recommend strict attention to doctor's orders as to the advisa-
bility of entering the baths. If the temperature of the well could be
modified, especially in cold weather, I should advise many more
people to take advantage of it."
No. 17 fell down and injured knee, " was bed-fast for some time
MAY, 1895.] The Holywell "Cures." 89
after the doctor had done all he could." Used crutches ; went to
Holywell in June and left one crutch, in July left the other and is
now able to walk with one stick. The doctor says : — " September 18th,
1894. She suffered from synovitis or arthritis, the so-called ' white
swelling ' of the knee-joint. During the acute stage she suffered
much pain ; after the usual treatment, pain disappearing, swelling
subsiding to some extent, yet still decidedly larger than the left
knee, with considerable ankylosis and stiffening of the joint. She
began to gain some strength so as to be able to move about on
crutches ; in this state I left off attending. After receiving your
note I called on her and found her moving about with the aid
of a stick. I examined the limb and noticed little if any change.
Ankylosis somewhat as I left it. The cancellous structure of the
bone next the articular lamella being inflamed in the acute stage
remains more or less enlarged in the chronic, and so it remains
in her case still. Therefore, there cannot be said to be any
healthy change in the affected knee beyond that which one would
ordinarily expect in the case, but the general health and spirits seem
much improved, and the setting aside the crutches, &c., seems to me to
be due to nervous agency rather than any obvious or unquestionable
•change of a miraculous type."
No. 23 had hip disease caused by a fall seven years since ; she was
nine months lying on an air bed ; has used crutches for last three years.
She was taken to the well, and after the first bath was able to walk
without aid. Her medical attendant writes: — " September 2,4th, 1894.
I have seen , the reputed Holywell cure ! she has ankylosis of
the hip joint, and I am of the opinion that there is no change in
her condition beyond a determination to try and do her best to
use the joint as much as possible. No doubt her faith will have
assisted her in one respect, she will now try her best to use all the
power of movement that she may possess. She now walks with two
sticks. ... Of course the newspaper report regarding my remarks
•was an entire fabrication, for at the time when it was published I
knew nothing about her having been to St. Winefred's Well."
No. 30 had chronic inflammation of the kidneys and bladder, went
to Holywell "at the advice of his doctor," and bathed and drank the
water for 1 1 days. After three days a change set in, and he gradually
got better. The doctor says that he did not go at his suggestion, but
with his consent. " October 1st, 1894. On his return from Holywell
he said he had less pain (though it was not quite gone) and also
seemed better in other respects. On the other hand he was pro-
ressing favourably before he went, and it was a trouble in which a
90 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAT, 1895..
change is generally beneficial in improving the low condition such?
cases get in."
No. 31 had a serious kidney complaint after an attack of influenza
four years ago. For two previous seasons she visited Holywell, withi
beneficial results. Since the third visit, last July, she has not taken
any medicine. The medical report is: — "October l&th, 1894. The
patient was treated by me for some time, and with fair success, for
renal disease. She has improved, but in my opinion only in the
ordinary way and by means of the ordinary medical treatment."
No. 37 attracted great attention from the apparently helpless con-
dition in which she arrived at Holywell. She suffered from " pains in
the back which prevented her from following her employment." The
recovery was immediate. The doctor says that " she was under his
care for over two months. Her illness was purely hysteria, as evi-
denced by different well-marked stigmata. There was no evidence of
disease of the spinal cord. Her complaints were of pain in the spine
and inability to walk ; at the same time we always knew that she was
quite able to walk without any help, and in fact on leaving here [she]
walked into the cab. This is a case in which a powerful nerve disturb-
ance is well understood to be of decided, and often lasting, benefit.
October 9th, 1894."
No. 42 is an instance in which the imagination of newspaper
correspondents has been inspired by statements from unsatisfactory
sources.
No. 43 is a case of paralysis in which " improvement " only is
claimed. The medical report of his previous condition is that " whilst
in the hospital his speech was slightly affected and the power over his-
right leg and arm was impaired. I fail to see how bathing in the welli
could produce any improvement in his condition." A fellow inmate at
the Holywell Hospice will " firmly vouch to the truth of his improved
state after bathing in the well. His speech is much better and the power
in his limbs." The man had paralysis, and the second attack was due
to exposure on the road and insufficient food. Care at the Hospice no
doubt helped towards improvement.
No. 45 had some complaint in the eyes, and a wound in the leg of thirty
years' standing. He says the wound is healed since bathing at Holywell
the second time, and the sight partly cured. The doctor writes, " Novem-
ber 13th, 1894. There is no doubt he received great benefit from the
change he took at Holywell, but as regards the therapeutical
qualities of the water I am ignorant. He has great faith in them,
which perhaps helped to relieve him."
No. 46 had rheumatic pains for thirteen years, and heart disease,-
MAY, 1895.] The Holy well " Cures." 91
and says that the cure is " something wonderful." The medical report
is : — " November 14th, 1894. She had got some medicine from me for
rheumatic pains and heart disease. She called to say that her pains
had now completely left her. I examined the heart and found the
murmur as distinct as ever. . . . When I told her that the heart
was as bad as ever, she said, ' I only went to Holy well for the pains
and they are gone.' "
A friend of No. 46 has had " a complaint " from birth and found
no remedy until she went to Holywell. She reports the doctor as
saying that the " cure is perfect, and that I am quite strong," but his
own version is that she called to say she was quite cured. He had
reduced a small pile for her some weeks before the visit.
This is not the only case in which statements attributed to a medical
man are really the patient's own.
No. 47 has been treated for rheumatism and had an attack of
apoplexy some ten years since. His employer says : — " There is no
question that is quite another man since his return from Holywell,
he being now able to walk quite easily without a stick, and he has more
use in his affected arm." The doctor says: — "December §th, 1894. He
informs me that he is better since the treatment, which consists of
immersion in the water. . . . He attributes his cure to the
intense cold. . . . The effect it produced he could not describe.
He made arrangements with a man to help him out if he could not get
out himself. He also drank freely of the water. He was able to
walk into the water himself."
No. 48 is a child who had a " stiffened knee joint " and used
crutches. Medical attention produced no cure, according to the
mother's statement. The medical report is : — "December 2nd, 1894.
The case was considered to be one of bone disease, in which the knee
joint was not implicated, and therefore a case in which, after subsi-
dence of the disease, good use of the limb and joint might be
expected."
No. 51 had rheumatics in legs, arms, and back for six years ; after
five days at Holywell returned "completely cured." A neighbour
corroborates the statement as to cure. The doctor replies: — " November
11 th, 1894. It is quite true that she has been under my care at various
times. Her principal trouble has been due to gravel, causing backache
and attacks of spasms due to passage of gravel down to bladder. Her
minor troubles have been due, undoubtedly due, to hysteria, such as
contraction of fingers, sacral pain, mimic paralysis (slight) of one lower
limb, globus hystericus, palpitation, &c."
No. 54, a young man, twenty-seven years of age. " When only
92 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAT, 1895.
twelve years of age, R., who was employed at a farm, became
paralysed on the right side and has remained in that state ever since,
despite medical treatment. He was brought to Holywell, and after
bathing twice in the well a wonderful improvement is said to have
been made in his condition. Whereas previously he had not the
slightest feeling in the right arm and leg, he can now feel the slightest
touch, and can raise his right arm and hand, a thing he has not done
for the last twelve years. His power of articulation has also been
greatly improved, and he looks forward with confidence to a complete
recovery." — Liverpool Courier. January 5th, 1895.
The medical attendant writes: — " March Iftth, 1895. At last I have
seen J.R. Owing to stress of work I could not manage to attend to
your request before. R. has been suffering from infantile paralysis
for years, and is still suffering. The original attack led to organic
lesions which can never be removed, and it is utterly delusive to say
that these conditions have been materially changed by the patient's
visit to Holywell. The ' cure ' claimed is a fiction — a palpable, absurd,
and mendacious phantom of the imagination, as R.'s case presents no
signs of ' betterment ' as the result of his visit."
These are the cases for which medical testimony has been obtained.
No good purpose would be served by mentioning those in which only
the patients' own descriptions of the complaints are forthcoming and
references to medical men are refused. In others the patients were
" sure" that they had this or that disease, but would not submit to
examination or operation. Some people report themselves as only
partially cured ; others deny that any cure has taken place, and they
are indignant with the papers for publishing what was not true. And
to complete the list, there are a few whose addresses as given in the
newspapers are unknown to the Post-office officials. Whatever may be
thought of the cures for which sufficient testimony has been discovered,
it does not seem that any one of them can fairly be reckoned as
miraculous, or even more wonderful than the therapeutic results which
happily attend ordinary medical practice, or are known at many of the
health-giving waters.
If the reputation of Holywell, not to mention St. Winefred, is to
be established, there must be a thoroughly scientific investigation made
under the superintendence of men whose position and character will
place them above suspicion and command the confidence of the public.
Let a number of patients be selected for experiment and sent to the
well under observation ; if the cures are abnormal and unexplainable
in the terms of medical science, and declared to be so by medical
experts, no doubt Holywell will become as popular as it would deserve
MAT, 1895.] Correspondence. 93
to be. About the very worst course to pursue is that which has
obtained during the past year ; another season of wild newspaper
reporting and inflated paragraphs will make the place a byword. Dr.
Williams, a much respected medical man at Holywell, considers that
the cures have come from shock and the tonic powers of the water. He
by no means minimises the benefits received, but he warns the public
that the well should be avoided by sufferers from organic visceral
disease, or a tendency to congestion of the internal organs, in short,
u all cases in which a medical man would not prescribe cold bathing."
The advice is no doubt sound, but it suggests that the curative powers
exercised are not specifically " supernatural."
A. T. FRYER.
CORRESPONDENCE.
[The Editor is not responsible for opinions expressed by Correspondents.]
ON EXPERIMENTS WITH EUSAPIA PALADINO.
The following letter has been received by Mr. Myers : —
4, Cranmer-road, Cambridge, March 25th, 1895.
. . . I have just been reading Dr. Hodgson's criticism on the report,,
and the replies to it. I think it may be admitted that he has put what T
may call the physical jugglery hypothesis in as plausible a way as is
possible, and most people after reading the replies, if not before, will
nevertheless feel that it is quite insufficient to accounb for the facts. But
it seems to me that neither Dr. Hodgson nor Professor Lodge takes sufficient
account of the psychological side of the matter. They refer to the
hypotheses of collective hallucination and hypnotisation only to dismiss them
at once ; but it appears to me that such objections to them as are evident
on the face of it apply only to gross and exaggerated forms of the
hypotheses, and that when moderately stated the great drawback to a
psychological explanation is that it seems to explain too much — there is
apparently hardly anything which it could not be made to explain, and
great difficulty in devising any way of practically testing or refuting it.
The obvious objection to the hypothesis of collective hallucination is
the improbability that four normal persons should at the same time have
such "completely externalised" hallucinations as would seem to be^
necessary to explain the reported phenomena. On the other hand, the
objection to the hypothesis of hypnotisation is that there is no reason for
supposing the observers, and still less the note -taker outside, to have been,
in any abnormal state. But we may put the hypothesis that the observers
were not in any abnormal state, but were merely under the influence of
"suggestion" so far that they mistook slight indications for clear
perceptions, or rather converted the former into the latter. The theory is
gaining ground that, so far from the hypnotic state being a necessary
94 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. (.MA?, 1895.
condition for the influence of suggestion, it is itself merely a suggested
condition. It is certain that subjects, at any rate who are accustomed to
being hypnotised, may be influenced by suggestions from others, even to the
extent of having marked hallucinations of perception, without passing
through any period of hypnotic sleep or trance, and without any break in
their chain of memories. So that it is quite possible that people may be
much more open to "suggestion" than is commonly supposed; and even
that hallucinatory percepts may be suggested to them, of a trivial nature,
without their ever finding it out. Of course it is not to be expected that
this would happen often, for our faculty of perception is adjusted to our
normal environment, and it would only be on the occurrence of abnormal
circumstances that such self-suggestions would be likely to deceive us.
Even on the hypothesis that such suggestions may be received telepathically
from others, they would much more often be suggestions of truth than of
falsehood. Personally, I am inclined to believe that expectations, pre-
conceived ideas, inferences, — in a word, "suggestions," — have much more to
do with even our most ordinary perceptions than is generally admitted by
psychologists — as witness those geometrical designs which one can at will
"see" with either one or another corner to the front. It would not, I
think, be difficult to draw up a progressive series of phenomena between
these simple illusions and the most developed hallucinations suggested to a
hypnotised subject, or the most realistic " phantasms of the living," tracing
in them all that natural tendency of the human mind to believe objectively
what it thinks subjectively, which Mr. Balfour calls the influence of
Authority.
We do not precisely know what are the conditions most favourable to the
action of suggestion, but if we once admit that it may act without the
subject being in any " abnormal " state, or having submitted himself to any
process of hypnotisation, it seems not improbable that the state of
expectancy and absence of distracting perceptions which obtains at a
conjuring performance, or still more perfectly at a mediumistic stance, is
one of those conditions. For the hypothesis affords an explanation of the
success of many conjuring tricks, the purely physical explanations of
which, as given by the conjurers themselves, seem highly unsatisfactory.
For example, Mr. Davey's explanations of how his tricks were done, though
they do not profess to be complete, show pretty clearly that his methods
could not have deceived any one whose perceptions represented the actual
occurrences to him in the way they would normally be expected to do. I
have myself seen the "basket trick" done in India, under circumstances
where it seemed that nothing short of a negative hallucination would
account for the escape of the boy from the basket unseen, and his appear-
ance behind a cactus hedge ten yards or so behind, the whole intervening
space of bare ground being, as I thought, under my close observation
all the time. This trick is a very common one, and not so striking as many
others that have been reported ; but it will serve to illustrate one argument
against the purely physical, and in favour of some psychological explanation
of such tricks ; namely, that, though a purely physical trick might succeed
on many occasions or before a small audience, if a juggler were found out
on one occasion in ten, or by one person in a dozen, his occupation would
.soon be gone. If the juggler had merely distracted my attention by beating
MAT, 1895.] Correspondence. 95
the tom-tom, he might have let the boy out of the basket while I was
looking away — but he could hardly calculate on always getting such a chance,
.and if the audience consisted of many people, it is hardly possible that he
would ever get a chance at all, unless we admit the hypothesis that the
suggestion to look away, or not to see, operated on all the spectators at once,
in a manner which at once recalls what is called " suggestion " in connection
with hypnotism. (For I do not suppose that any one would suggest that
this common trick is performed by de-materialising and then re-materialising
the boy.)
I cannot, of course, pretend to apply this hypothesis to explain in detail
all the phenomena observed with Eusapia. I do not suppose that everything
could be explained by suggestion — probably it would be necessary to assume
more or less conscious or unconscious trickery on Eusapia's part as well.
But if she did her tricks by mere jugglery, such as Dr. Hodgson describes,
it is impossible but that she should make mistakes and be found out every
now and then ; whereas if all that the jugglery has to do is to supply points
de repere, as it were, for the suggested hallucinatory percepts to form round,
the only sort of failure to be expected would be what actually occurs, viz. ,
that on some occasions there are no, or next to no, manifestations of force,
and movements of Eusapia are observed which bear a suspicious character
•(see Dr. Ochorowicz's reply to Dr. Hodgson, " la fraude rdflexe," Journal for
March and April, p. 77).
But the hypothesis might be made to explain so many reported phenomena
"besides Eusapia's that it behoves us to discuss it thoroughly, and, if possible,
•find some crucial test by which we may make sure that " suggestion " has
not. as it were, been "cooking" the reports in any particular case. The
only practical proposal I can make is one which has already been made by
Dr. Hodgson, viz., that each of the observers should write an independent
report immediately after each sitting. Of course suggestion might even then
operate in the same way on each of the observers — and it would be especially
likely to do so if they were in the habit of calling out their observations in
order to have them taken down by a note-taker outside the room. I would
therefore suggest that, a series having already been taken with a note-taker,
it would be well to try a further series without one ; in which every possible
precaution was taken to keep the observers' minds independent of each other.
They might, for example, arrange so that one observer did all the holding
during one experiment, so that it would not be necessary to call out " mains
bien tenues," &c., and the light might be turned up after anything had hap-
pened to allow each observer to make his own notes. In this way almost
complete silence could be kept as to what phenomena were occurring and the
influence of suggestion might then be expected to show itself in discrepancies
in the reports. Another method of attaining the same result, which would
be even more satisfactory if it were practicable, would be to have a number
of independent observers posted outside the room, unknown to the medium,
and, if possible, to the sitters also, looking through holes in the walls or
ceiling ; but this would be difficult to arrange, even if the stance room was
sufficiently illuminated to allow anything to be clearly seen. But I think
the most hopeful way of testing the hypothesis would be in reference to
other and specially arranged experiments. A valuable beginning has already
been made by Mr. Davey ; and perhaps the most promising field for investi-
gation for the S.P.R. lies in testing the "possibilities of mal-observation,"
or, as I should prefer to put it, " the possibilities of suggestion." Until
such possibilities can be excluded, it will never seem to me " even money "
that such phenomena as are reported in D. D. Home's case or Eusapia's
indicate the existence of any new Forces in Nature.
EDWARD T. DIXON.
96 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAY, 1895.
DIPSOMANIA AND HYPNOTISM.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
Sir, — May I be allowed to refer to the article under the above title in
Part XXVII of the Proceedings ? The subject of Dipsomania comes within
the scope of the Society for Psychical Research solely in connection with
hypnotism as a curative agent. The cases quoted by Dr. J. Gordon Dill are
of striking interest and importance. In introducing them, however, Dr.
Gordon Dill makes a general remark on Dipsomania which appears to me to
be fraught with considerable danger to the moral perceptions of the commu-
nity, if put forward without some qualification. The latter part of the first
paragraph is as follows : —
" Now it cannot be too strongly insisted upon that habitual drunkenness
is a disease, — a moral, as opposed to an intellectual insanity, — and that no
matter how real the resolution to reform, or how intense the pangs of remorse
for the past may be, it is a positive fact that the power of resistance does not
equal the impelling force of the temptation and craving to drink. The
drunkard, in other words, is not his own master."
It may be correct to call "habitual drunkenness" a " disease " and a
" moral insanity." But there can be no fair comparison between habitual
drunkenness and any ordinary form of mental or physical disease. It is easy to
show one essential difference. It would be great presumption in any one to
say "I never will have epilepsy," — "I never will have any form of religious
or acute mania." But there is no presumption in any young man or woman,
growing up to years of discretion, saying, " I never will be a dipsomaniac."
Dipsomania is a result of one of our social customs, in the first place volun-
tarily conformed to. Were that custom abandoned, dipsomania would cease
to exist. There is therefore, it seems to me, a danger of weakening the
moral sense and responsibility both of individuals and of society, by classify-
ing it with forms of disease and insanity over which we are able to exercise
only limited control.
EDWARD T. BENNETT.
March 3lst, 1895.
CATALOGUE OF UNPRINTED CASES.
(Continued from the March — April JOURNAL.)
BL 195. AH PS Thought-transference. Through Miss E. Shove.— The
case consists of a copy of a letter from a gentleman in which he describes how
on the previous night, when lying awake, he heard his wife talking in her
sleep, and that she seemed to be expressing his own thoughts. He therefore
determined to experiment, and set his mind upon ' ' a most outrageous and
far-fetched thing, in language which she would never dream of using of her
own volition. " After some seconds of severe but indescribable effort on his
part, "she said my thoughts word for word." After this he tried hard for
a long time to " start her again," but without success. Recorded the day
after the experiment, early in 1891.
BL 196. Through Mr. A. H. Winter.- (1) Mrs. Skinner saw her
master, who was away for his health, pass the window. He died a few days
after. (2) She heard noise like crockery smashing in the dairy, but found
all secure. At that time a friend died. (3) She heard noise like a dish
falling. Her sister, who had not been ill, died at the time. No dates given.
The three cases recorded in 1884.
No. CXX.— VOL. VII. JUNE, 1895.
JOURNAL
OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGE
New Members and Associates 97
Meeting of the Council 97
General Meeting .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 98
Cases Received by the Literary Committee 98
Correspondence :—
On Experiments with Eusapia Paladino . . . . . . HI
NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.
Names of Members are printed in Black Type-
Names of Associates are printed in SMALL CAPITALS.
DOUGALL, Miss LILY, at 41, Banbury-road, Oxford.
GHOSE, N.N., the Indian Nation Office, 43, Bancharam Unkoor's-lane,
Calcutta.
HOTHAM, Miss C. E., 56, Belgrave-road, London, S.W.
INGHAM, CHARLES B., Moira House, Eastbourne.
INGHAM, PERCY B., Moira House, Eastbourne.
LYALL, Miss FRANCES E., St. Hilda's, Oxford.
Robb, Mrs., 46, Rutland Gate, London, S.W.
Smith, Martyn, Abberton Hall, Pershore.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
ABBOT, HENRY W., 11, Commonwealth-avenue, Boston, Mass.
ARGUELLES, DON PEDRO, Collector of Customs, N. Laredo, Mexico.
Atwood, Dr. George H., 17, Tremont-street, Boston, Mass.
BROWN, ELISHA R., Dover, New Hampshire.
COOK, R. HARVEY, M.D., Oxford Retreat, Oxford, Ohio.
Dewey, D.B., Evanston, 111.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Council was held at the Rooms of the Society,
19, Buckingham-street, W.C., on Friday, May 17th. Mr. R. Pearsall
Smith was voted to the chair. There were also present, Sir Augustus
98 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1895.
K. Stephenson, Q.C., Dr. G. F. Rogers, Dr. A. Wallace, and Messrs.
F. W. H. Myers, F. Podmore and S. C. Scott.
Two new Members and six new Associates were elected, whose
names and addresses are given above. The election of two new
Members and four new Associates of the American Branch was
recorded.
The Council recorded with regret the death of Mr. J. Chantrey
Harris, of New Zealand, Avho had been for many years an Associate
of the Society.
At her request the name of Miss N. Robertson was transferred
from the list of Members to that of Associates.
Arrangements were made for papers to be read at the General
Meeting of the Society on Friday, July 5th.
Various other matters having been attended to, the Council
agreed that its next meeting should be at the Westminster Town
Hall, on Friday, July 5th, at 3 p.m., previous to the General Meeting
at 4 p.m.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 73rd General Meeting of the Society was held at the West-
minster Town Hall on Friday, May 17th, at 8.30 p.m. ; Mr. R.
Pearsall Smith in the chair.
A paper by MR. ANDREW LANG on " The Voices of Jeanne d'Arc,"
which will be published in the forthcoming number of the Proceedings,
was read by Mrs. Lang.
MR. F. W. H. MYERS read a paper on "The Relation of
Subliminal Phenomena to Time," which it is hoped to publish in a
future number of the Proceedings.
CASES RECEIVED BY THE LITERARY COMMITTEE.
The two following cases belong to the rare and interesting type of
reciprocal impressions. In each, the impression of the person who
may be regarded as the agent is more or less unique ; but there is no
evidence of any but a subjective origin for it. Its importance lies in
its being apparently the cause of the experience of the percipient, on
whose side alone does the impression reach the pitch of a distinct sensory
hallucination. The first case is also interesting as an instance of an
apparition experimentally produced, though the attempt to do this
seems to have been only a secondary object on the part of the agent ;
JUNK, 1895.] Cases Received by the Literary Committee. 99
his main desire being to discover himself something of the percipent's
condition. It will be observed that he did not appear in the clothes
which he was actually wearing at the time, but in a garb familiar to
the percipient.
L. 983. Ae Pn Apparition.
The case comes to us through the American Branch, having been,
sent by Dr. M. L. Holbrook, who writes concerning it to Dr. Hodgson: —
[June, 1894.]
I think the enclosed case is a very good one. I have known of it for years,
and got it written out a day or two ago, when in Lake wood, N.J. The
son's testimony (Geo. Sinclair) was written out without any consultation
with his parents, or knowledge of what they had said.
M. L. HOLBROOK.
The following is the account of the agent, Mr. B. F. Sinclair : —
Lakewood, June 12^, 1894.
On the 5th of July, 1887, I left my home in Lakewood to go to New York
to spend a few days- My wife was not feeling well when I left, and after
I had started I looked back and saw her standing in the door looking
disconsolate and sad at my leaving. The picture haunted me all day, and
at night, before I went to bed, I thought I would try to find out if possible
her condition. I had undressed, and was sitting on the edge of the bed,
when I covered my face with my hands and willed myself in Lakewood at
home to see if I could see her. After a little, I seemed to be standing in
her room before the bed, and saw her lying there looking much better. I
felt satisfied she was better, and so spent the week more comfortably
regarding her condition. On Saturday I went home. When she saw me,
she remarked, "I don't know whether I am glad to see you or not, for I
thought something had happened to you. I saw you standing in front of
the bed the night (about 8.30 or before 9) you left, as plain as could be, and
I have been worrying myself about you ever since. I sent to the office and
to the depot daily to get some message from you." After explaining my
effort to find out her condition, everything became plain to her. She had
seen me when I was trying to see her and find out her condition. I thought
at the time I was going to see her and make her see me.
B. F. SINCLAIR.
Mrs. Sinclair writes : —
I remember this experience well. I saw him as plain as if he had been
there in person. I did not see him in his night clothes, but in a suit that
hung in the closet at home. It made me very anxious, for I felt that some
accident or other had befallen him. I was on the rack all the time till
Saturday, and if he had not come home then, I should have sent to him to
find out if anything was wrong.
H. M. SINCLAIR.
Mr. George Sinclair, in answer to Dr. Holbrook's request for his
testimony, wrote to him : —
100 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 18951.
27, 7th Street, N. Y. City, N. Y. , June Uth, 1894.
Dear Sir, — Yours of the 13th inst. at hand, and I will with pleasure give
you whatever information I can. At the time in question I was living at
the Seven Stars house in Lakewood, going to and from my work and
stabling my horse at father's. I do not remember the date, but think it
was about the middle of the week that mother told me in the morning that
" she had seen father the night before just before she retired for the night."
"His face was drawn and set as if he were either dead or trying to accomplish
something which was beyond him." She watched very anxiously the balance
of the week for a letter or telegram, but none came, and when no word
came on Saturday she was almost crazy. He unexpectedly returned
Saturday night, saying that it was just as cheap to come home as to stay in
N.Y. over Sunday at a hotel.
When mother questioned him in regard to the incident at the middle of
the week, he said "that he made up his mind to see her that night if
possible, and had concentrated his will power on that one object," with the
result which you know. It gave him pleasure and her a good deal of
uneasiness.
GEO. SINCLAIR.
The second case also comes to us through the American Branch.
Here there seems to have been on the part of the agent a spontaneous-
revival of memory of long past and forgotten scenes, such as often,
occurs in crystal visions, but rarely in ordinary life.
L. 984. A* P" Auditory.
From Mrs. Manning, who writes to Professor James as follows : —
105, Winter Street, Portland, Maine, October 28th [1894].
Dear Sir, — At the request of Colonel Woodhull, I send you the following
statement, which I hope may be of use to you.
When I was a child at my home in Rochester, N.Y., my elder sister had'
almost entire care of me. At night, after putting me in bed, she would sit
beside me for a few moments until I fell asleep. Frequently I would wake up,
and finding myself alone and in the dark, of which I was much afraid, I
would call out to her ; she would come and soothe me to sleep again. In 1875,
I was living at Fort Hartsuff, Nebraska, a military post, the station of my
husband. Our nearest railway station was Grand Island, on the Union
Pacific Railroad, 75 miles away. My sister then lived at Omaha, about
300 miles east of Grand Island. Our mail reached us by buckboard from Grand
Island every Wednesday and Saturday. One night in November, I awoke
from a dreamless sleep, wide awake, and yet to my own consciousness the
little child of years ago, in my own room in the old home ; the sister had
gone, and I was alone in the darkness. I sat up in bed, and called with all:
my voice, " Jessie ! Jessie !" — my sister's name. This aroused my husband,
who spoke to me. I seemed to come gradually to realisation of my sur-
roundings, and with difficulty adjusted myself to the present. In that
JUNE, 1895.] Cases Received by the Literary Committee. 101
moment I seemed to live again in the childhood days and home. I cannot
express too strongly the feeling of actuality I had. For days after this the
strange impression was with me, and I could recall many little incidents and
scenes of child-life that I had entirely forgotten.
I wrote to my sister the next day, and told her of the strange experience
of the night before. In a few days I received a letter from her, the date
the same as mine,and having passed mine on the way, in which she said that
such a strange thing had happened the night before ; that she had been
awakened by my voice calling her name twice ; that the impression was so
strong that her husband went to the door to see if it could possibly be I.
No one else had called her ; she had not been dreaming of me. She dis-
tinctly recognised my voice.
MARY M. CLARKSON MANNING.
Captain Manning writes : —
Portland, Me., October 29th, 1894.
I distinctly recall the circumstances as related above by my wife.
W. C. MANNING
(Captain 23rd Infantry, U.S. Army).
Mrs. Manning's sister and brother-in-law give their testimony as
follows : —
Detroit, Mich., November 1st, 1894.
The statement made by my sister is as I remember the experience.
That it made a deep impression upon us both is evidenced by each writing
of it to the other on the day following its occurrence. The impression ma^e
was so forcible, it has never been forgotten. J£SSIE CLAKKSQN THKALL
Detroit, Mich., November 1st, 1894.
The within statement of a curious coincidence might have been forgotten
t>y me during the past twenty years, had the facts not been recalled to my
memory from time to time as they have by the principal actors in it. I have
-always regarded it as a strange coincidence, but nothing more.
I heard no call, but went to the door to satisfy my wife that her sister
was not in the hall. GEORGE THRALL.
In reply to Dr. Hodgson's enquiries, Mrs. Manning informed him
that the original letters referred to had been destroyed long ago, and
that neither she herself nor her sister had ever had any similar
experience.
L. 985. Simultaneous Impressions.
The following case was referred to in an article in Longman's
Magazine, by Mr. Andrew Lang, who there wrote : —
A lady — not a nervous lady — was returning, with her husband, from a
visit to the country. She lived in a kind of flat, above another house or
tenement. In the train, on her journey, she expressed a firm belief that
102 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1895.
something dreadful had occurred at home. In fact, a servant had fallen
through a glass cupola into the tenement beneath, and had killed herself.
But the odd thing was that the maid's sister and a gentleman interested in
the house where the accident had occurred both arrived before the ill news
had reached them, both averring that they had a presentiment of evil. So
here were three coincident forebodings in one case, all fulfilled.
Mr. Myers made enquiries about the case and received the following
letter from the husband of the first percipient : —
June 16th, 1892.
Dear Sir, — After receiving yours of 18th inst., I wrote to our mutual
friend Andrew Lang for the date of the Longman in which he had related
the incident to which you refer. He has now sent me the paragraph and I
can safely say that the story is accurately told.
In June, 1880, I was living with my wife and family in Edinburgh, in
just such a flat as is described ; the occupant of the house below being
Mr. S .
My wife and I had been from home on a Friday to Monday visit, and
when on our return homewards, about half-an-hour by rail from Edinburgh,
my wife suddenly exclaimed, ' ' I am certain something dreadful has
happened at home." She seemed so positive that I was much impressed
and somewhat anxious.
On our arrival at home, we found that our unfortunate table-maid had
been killed in the manner stated by Mr. Lang, and that, as nearly as we
could ascertain, at the exact moment when my wife felt the presentiment
that something dreadful had occurred.
Soon after I met Mr. B , who told me the circumstances under which
he had gone to Mr. S 's house at the time of the accident.
As however, I thought you would like his account at first hand, I wrote
to him for it and now enclose it.
We were at the time informed that a sister of the unfortunate girl, who
was a nursemaid in Edinburgh, had arrived quite unexpectedly at the time
of the accident, and stated that she had felt drawn to the place by a feeling
of anxiety about her sister.
I have, unfortunately, no knowledge of what became of this girl, and the
servants who reported the incident to us are now scattered far and wide. I
may say, however, that personally I have no doubt that the account then
given to us of what she said was absolutely true.
The writer enclosed the following letter from his friend, Mr. B., to
himself.
June 14th, 1894.
So far as I am concerned, the facts as to the death of the girl in S 's
house are few and simple.
S and his wife were abroad, and he had asked me to take an occasional
look at his house, to see that all was going well.
On the day in question, I was sitting writing at my desk here (I write
from my office), when, by a sudden impulse, the reason of which I never
JUNE, 1895.] Cases Received by the Literary Committee. 103
could make out, I laid down my pen, put on my hat, and went straight down
to St. — — street. On the door-step, I saw J standing with a curious
look in his eyes. I said, "Well, J , everything going on all right ? " He
said only, "Look here, sir," and led the way into the inner hall, where there
was something covered with a white sheet. He removed the cloth, and there
lay the poor girl dreadfully mangled. There could be no doubt as to death
being instantaneous, so I wrote a note to the police authorities to come and
make the necessary investigation, and came away. That is all I can say.
Undoubtedly there was something strange which made me hurry away in
the middle of my writing to this catastrophe ; but I had no presentiment of
anything evil having happened. I think your estimate of the year and day
must be about correct.
MCI. 92. Visual.
The following case of apparent clairvoyance with regard to the
arrival of a letter was sent to us the day after it occurred by Mrs.
Venn ; the percipient being her son, a boy of about ten years of age.
Mrs. Venn writes : —
3, St, Peter's-terrace, Cambridge, January 9th, 1895.
January 8th, I came down to breakfast ; A . was sitting at the table,
Dr. Venn was not in the room. Something engaged my attention at the
end of the room, and standing with my back to the table I said : " Are there
any letters for me, A.?'' (The letters are usually on or by my plate.)
A. "Yes, one; there is one."
[Mrs. Venn.] " See who it's from ; do you know ? "
A. " It has the Deal postmark ; it is from Frances (Venn) — for you
or me."
Turning round I saw no letter, and said : "I see no letter, A. What
are you talking about ? Have you hidden it ? "
A. " Unless my eyes deceive me, there is a letter, as I said."
Going up to the table to look, I found none, and said : "There is none.
You shouldn't invent things ; you shouldn't say things just as if they were
true, when they're not !" (No doubt a valuable observation.)
A. " Well, I didn't. There was one, or, at any rate, my eyes seemed to
see one just as I told you, with the Deal postmark and Frances' writing ;
but I don't know if it was to you or me. I couldn't read the writing from
here. I know there's none now." Subject dropped purposely.
This was at 9 o'clock. Returning at 10 o'clock into the hall, the second
post having just come, the servant had just put one letter on the hall table ;
it was to A. from Frances and bore the Deal postmark, as A. had said.
She had been at Frant and we did not know she had returned home and
were not expecting to hear from her. Another cousin wrote generally.
There was nothing of any note in the letter. It was given to A. at the end
of his lessons with the remark — " Here is the letter, you see, after all."
"Yes," he said, indifferently, not a bit interested, his mind full of some-
thing else, "I often do see things like that, you know I do."
A. was with his tutor when the second post came, and the letter was
104 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1895.
taken in by the servant and laid on the hall table before me — there was no
possibility of his having hid it ; and he wouldn't have cared to do it in any
case. We never take any notice to him of his saying anything of the sort.
S. C. VENN.
P.S. — I am sorry I didn't keep the letter to send you, but let some one
burn it. A. left it lying about ; but I took it into the drawing-room and
shewed it to Dr. Venn and told him the story, before giving it to A.
Dr. Venn adds : —
This was so. J.VENN.
Mrs. Venn writes later : —
January Z\st.
His cousins live at Walmer, but the post-mark is Deal.
Archie would think of Walmer, not of Deal, as their home ; but he might
have seen previous letters during the last three or four months with Deal
post-mark on them, though he had received none from them addressed to
himself from there. He would have had the opportunity of noticing it on
letters to his father or to me.
S. C. VENN.
Mrs. Venn adds the following account of a more remote incident —
a case of apparent thought-transference between herself and her son,
occurring in a dream.
January ~L5th, 1895.
I think the oddest experience I ever had with him was one night at
Bournemouth, when he still slept in my room. I dreamed a dream and
woke with it, and he immediately (asleep still) in his sleep began to talk
about it, proving that he was dreaming the same thing. It was a very queer
dream, and involved the question of how many inches (of a row of candles)
should be cut off each candle. He gravely begged me to " cut off six inches,
do, mamma " ; when I was feeling iour would be enough. It was a fete in
our dream, and we were lighting up some room. No real thing had
happened to suggest it to us, but we both dreamt it together apparently.
We never, however, allow his attention to be called to these matters.
L. 986. As Ps Simultaneous Dreams.
The following is another case of similar dreams occurring simul-
taneously to two different persons and involving a grotesque feature
which is not likely to have occurred to both of them by chance.
It was sent to Dr. Hodgson through Dr. M. L. Holbrook, who is
acquainted with both the percipients. The first account is from Dr.
Adele A. Gleason.
The Gleason Sanitarium, Elmira, N.Y., [February, 1892.]
The night of Tuesday, January 26th, 1892, I dreamed between two and
three o'clock that I stood in a lonesome place in dark woods. That great
JUNE, 1895.] Cases Received by the Literary Committee. 105
fear came on me ; that a presence as of a man well-known to me came and
shook a tree by me, and that its leaves began to tum to flame.
The dream was so vivid that I said to the man of whom I dreamed when
I saw him four days later, " I had a very strange dream Tuesday night." He
•said, " Do not tell it to me ; let me describe it, for I know I dreamed the
same thing."
He then urithout suggestion from me duplicated the dream, which he knew,
from time of waking from it, took place at the same hour of the same night.
ADELE A. GLEASON.
The account of the second dreaaaer, written at about the same time,
is as follows : —
From Mr. John R. Joslyn, Attorney-at-Law.
208, East Water-street, Elmira, N.Y.
On Tuesday, January 26th, 1892, I dreamed that in a lonely wood where
sometimes I hunted game, and was walking along after dark, I found a frienu
standing some ten feet in the bushes away from the road, apparently para-
lysed with fear of something invisible to me, and almost completely stupi-
fied by the sense of danger. I went to the side of my friend and shook th«
bush, when the falling leaves turned into flame.
On meeting this friend, a lady, some days afterward, she mentioned having
had a vivid dream on Tuesday morning,* and I said, " Let me tell you mine
first," and without suggestion I related a duplicate of her dream. I was
awakened soon after and noted the time from a certain night train on a rail-
road near by, and so am certain that the dreams took place at same hour of
same niSht' J. R. JOSLYN.
In reply to Dr. Hodgson's enquiries, Dr. Gleason writes : —
Gleason Sanitarium, Elmira, N.Y., February 27th, [1892].
DEAR SIR, — In reply to yours returned, I am sorry to say that Mr.
Joslyn has no notes of the dream, but he is sure of being waked from said
dream by the scream of the R. R. whistle of the D. L. and W. train passing
here at three o'clock a.m. I am in the country and was not waked by the
train but by the vividness of the dream, and lighted a candle and noted time
by watch.
I send page from my note-book written next a.m. The occurrence noted
has " J. R. J." by the word " dream."
There is really no doubt of the duplicate.
(DR.) ADELE A. GLEASON.
[In answer to Dr. Hodgson's question, sent March 3rd, viz., Am I right
in understanding that the record "night of dream" and also the initials
" J. R. J." were written the next morning ? Dr. Gleason writes :]
Yes, they were written at the time before I saw J. R. J. The reason they
are crowded in is because I had marked down the dates on the note-book
* No doubt a slip for Tuesday night. January 26th, 1892, was a Tuesday.
106 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. (JUNE, 1895.
previously, ready for experiment* in day-time, so I had to crowd the night
event unexpected in. . . . ADELE GLEASON.
[The note referred to above reads, " Night of dream.— J. 11. J."]
L. 987. Ae Ps Auditory and Visual.
The next case was received from Mrs. Krekel, an Associate of the
American Branch of the S.P.R.
She writes to Dr. Hodgson : —
Kansas City, Mo., January 17th, 1894.
DEAR MR. HODGSON, — You asked me to communicate to you anything in
my experience relating to matters under investigation by Psychical Society.
All my life I have had experiences, — much more pronounced before my
marriage and birth of my children than since ; but never, at any period of
my life since I can remember, have I been free from these experiences and
visions.
[In an earlier letter to Dr. Hodgson, Mrs. Krekel wrote : — All the early
years of my life, I was subject to visions and strange experiences. Developed
into a public speaker under some strange — or at least, not well understood —
influence, called, for want of other explanation, spirit control. After arriv-
ing at mature years and the deeper experiences of life, I was not satisfied
with that explanation, and have been doubting and searching ever since.]
Within [a] few days after receipt of your last communication, I had a
quite remarkable experience, which is best told by submitting to you the
letters relating thereto, which I enclose, with also the telegram announcing
my mother's death.
I was visiting an old friend at Quitman, Mo., a friend of my girlhood
days, and so far as I knew, my mother was in better health than a year
before. I had not thought of her even, when my strange experience came.
We had talked over old times that evening. It was the second evening of
my stay with family, and I had fallen asleep almost immediately after going
to bed. I could not tell the exact time in the morning that the rap came
upon headboard of bed, so it appeared to me, but that it was nearly morning
I knew, because it was light and clear out- doors, and also because I did
not sleep soundly after, — only passed into a half -sleeping condition again, —
when apparently a large envelope was thrust before my face with mourning
border around it, and death marked upon it. J had left Quitman Friday
morning — with still no indication what occurrence might mean, — until
Saturday morning at Hamburg, la., the despatch came, telling me of my
dear old mother's death. Even then there was a gap between time cf
occurrence and time of death which could not [be accounted] for, and which
was only explained after my arrival in Northern Illinois, five hundred miles
away from where 1, in some way, heard her trying to call help to her bed-
side. How did I hear, across three states, her call for help ? When that
question is answered, who, or what, on that first evening, or night, of my
*Dr Holbrook informs us that Dr. Gleason was carrying on experiments in
thought-transference with Mr. Joslyn during this time.
JUNE, 1895.] Cases Received by the Literary Committee. 107
mother's illness, knew she would die and gave me the death message, in the
morning of the 23rd, that actually came the morning of the 25th ?
MATTIE P. KREKEL.
The following are the letters enclosed. The first was written by
Mrs. Krekel to the friend with whom she was staying at the time,
and gives further details.
Rockport, 111., November 30th, 1893.
Dear Mrs. McKenzie, — The enclosed telegram, which I would like you
to return again to me, will explain the sad errand upon which I was called
to Rockford, only two days after my somewhat remarkable experience at
your place. You will remember that it was Wednesday night, November
22nd, that I heard the loud rap upon head of my bed, and had the arm
thrust over my shoulder, handing me the envelope with mourning border and
death upon it. Saturday morning, at Hamburg, Iowa, three days after-
wards, the enclosed message came to me. Now I must tell you some other
particulars connected with it, which are part, and a remarkable part, of the
occurrence and experience.
My mother was taken ill Wednesday night, soon after going to bed, — a
difficulty in breathing, which she had experienced more or less since an
attack of "la grippe " four years ago. She occupied and slept in her own
part of the house, shut away from my brother and sister-in-law by two
doors, — the folding doors of the parlour which was her living room, and
her bedroom door opening off her living room. She told my sister Mary,
who was sent for the next morning and stayed with her until she died, that
she disliked to disturb the family, knowing that they were ill (both brother
and his wife were down with " grippe "), and she resolved to go through
the night without calling them ; but along towards morning became
so ill that she tried to call them, rapped upon a stand standing at the head of
bed, and upon the headboard, until she aroused them.
Now that I heard my dear old mother rapping for help across three
states, I have no more doubt than I have that I atn writing to you of the
occurrence now.
My sister tells me that she was likely struck with death from the first.
Her hands and feet were deathly cold, but she did not know it, said she was
comfortable, " that she was going," and was glad, " was happy."
MATTIE P. KREKEL.
The telegram is dated November 25th, 1893, and announces
that the death had occurred at four o'clock that morning. November
22nd, 1893, was a Wednesday, as stated.
The following was Mrs. McKenzie's reply to Mrs. Krekel : —
Quitman, Mo., December 6c/i, 1893.
I opened your letter in the presence of my husband, son and daughter.
I read the telegram first. My surprise caused me to relate the occurrence
of Wednesday night, November 22nd, as you had told me in the morning.
Lottie told her father that you told her the same thing after breakfast.
Then I read your letter, and there was the same. A loud rap upon the head
of your bed, waking you up, an arm thrust over your shoulder, handing
108 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1395.
you an envelope with a black border, with death upon it. I cannot forget
your excitement and sadness, caused by the occurrence.
ELLEN E. MCKENZIE.
L. 988. AdPn Auditory.
The following is a case of raps heard at the time of a death, and
noted at the time, related by M. Erny, author of Le Psychisme
Experimental.
He writes to Mr. Myers : —
34, Rue Labruyere, Paris, March &th, 1895.
. . . . Here is a very curious phenomenon which occurred to me in
•Switzerland. In 1893, I was at Interlaken, and amusing myself very much,
and very far from psychic ideas. One evening (not night), I heard three
raps, and as it is the usual sign for advertisement, I waited to see if it would
come again, for I supposed it might come from neighbours. Again I heard
the three raps, and this time I remarked that it was on the wood of my bed.
Then it was evident that it was a premonition.
When I came back to Paris, I found on my bureau a letter from a
cousin, who announced to me the death of an aunt at Brest. The day of
death was the same day when I was averti at Interlaken, for I took the
precaution to write the day on my travel book.
I had no news of that aunt for three months, and did not suppose that
the premonition was for her. On the contrary, I thought immediately of
another relation who was in a town where there was an epidemic.
A. ERNY.
We enquired whether the note made at the time had been
preserved, but learnt that it had been made on a scrap of paper, which
was, unfortunately, lost.
L. 989. Ae Ps Vision.
From Mr. W. H. Shrubsole, F.G.S.
62, High Street, Sheerness-on-Sea, April 25th, 1894.
. . . . I was in bed lying on my right side, and apparently perfectly
self-conscious. There are, and were, two wardrobes in the room, the
relative positions to the bed being as shown : —
A
Wardrpbe A
Bed
All at once I saw my son, or rather what I felt convinced was my
«on, lying on his back on a shelf in the wardrobe with the next shelf above
touching him. He moved his body as if in pain ; and moved his head so
JUNE, 1895.] Cases Received by the Literary Committee. 109'
that his face was sometimes towards me, and sometimes turned away from
me. I remember thinking, and I thought that I also spoke, thus : — " You
are altogether too closely confined in there ; I must have you out of that."
However, I did not move, and presently, the vision faded.
Still lying in bed, and still self-conscious, I saw the same apparently
real presence of my son on a shelf in wardrobe B. He was then much
quieter, and did not move his head as described before, yet still looked as
if in great pain.
I believe that I remained in the same position, and that my eyes were
not directed to wardrobe B, and yet I seemed to be looking straight at him.
Again, the vision faded.
When I arose in the morning, I was painfully conscious of what had
transpired in the night, and was for some weeks in constant dread of hearing
that an accident had befallen my son. Then a letter from him relieved my
fears. In it he narrated how, by the breaking of a rotten rope, he had
fallen from aloft, and was nearly killed. He gave the latitude and longitude
and the day and hour. On making the proper chronological allowance, I
found that the accident in the Pacific and my vision occurred at the same time.
On his return at the end of the voyage, before I told him of my experi-
ence, I asked him for full particulars. He said that after he fell, some of
the crew lifted him up. The captain, who was a brutal fellow, saw them
and said, "Let [him] alone, he'll come to presently. Push him in under that
spare spar," which was accordingly done, and there was only just room for
his body. In fact, when the face was uppermost, his nose touched the spar.
On this I asked him if he kept still. He said that he did not, owing tc
great pain, and that each time he swung his head, his nose touched the spar.
I then asked him to indicate the relative positions of [the] spar and the bunk to-
which he was afterwards carried. You will see by the rough sketch how the
positions correspond to those in which I saw him.
Ship's side A
Deck
House
B
The arrow indicates where he lay with his head in the same direction as
that in which I saw him in the wardrobe.
Inasmuch as I saw that he was in great pain and in a cramped position,,
it is evident that I could not have been fully awake, or I should have
jumped out of bed and attended to him. -r^- TJ gHRTm OTP
Mr. Shrubsole further informed us that he thought the date of the
incident was in 1887 or 1888, and that he had written an account of it
110 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1895.
"soon after" in The English Mechanic and World of Science. From
this paper, of October 7th, 1887, we extract the account referred to.
He there calls it " a recent experience of my own."
I had a son — a lad of sixteen — at sea in the capacity of an apprentice on
board a British barque. One night, while in bed, I suddenly awoke, and
saw with great distinctness an apparition of the upper half of my son
stretched out on his back on a flat surface by the bedside. He appeared as
if in his usual working dress, and I saw his features without the slightest
obscurity. He was apparently writhing in pain, and yet unable to do more
than move his head a little. Although I seemed to see him close to me, I
yet felt that I was powerless to help, and this sense of inability caused me
extreme mental distress. After a while the vision faded, and a period
elapsed that I cannot correctly estimate. Then I again saw his form, prone
as before, and with the features still indicating great pain ; but this time ib
was at the opposite end of the room. The consciousness of inability to
relieve still possessed me, till the vision faded and I fell asleep. On
awaking in the morning I had a clear recollection of the painful vision, and
for weeks I could not shake off the impression that my son had sustained
some serious injury. At last, to my great relief, a letter from him came to
"hand. In it was narrated rather briefly how he had fallen to the deck in.
consequence of the breaking of a rotten rope on which he was hauling, and
that in consequence he was totally helpless for more than a week. I had
not recorded the exact date of the vision, but as nearly as I could make out
at the time of reading the letter, the date corresponded with that of the
accident. On his return home, I eagerly asked my boy for the particulars
of the occurrence, taking care not to put leading questions, and to keep him
ignorant of my experience till he had told me all. I learned that he was
stunned by the concussion, and that the first thing he was conscious of was
that some persons were lifting him up. Finding him helpless, they laid him
down again on the deck. The captain presently came and asked him if any
bones were broken, to which he could only indistinctly reply. Then the
captain told some one to draw him to one side of the deck, and said that he
would come all right in a few hours. The poor lad remained there without
attention until some sympathetic member of the crew carefully lifted him
from where he was lying and carried him to his bunk in the deckhouse,
where he lay for eight days. Making further erquiry, and taking the
chronological difference into account, I found that the accident happened at
an hour when I am usually in bed. Having thus stated the facts, I direct
attention particularly to the coincidence (1st) in time of the accident and of
my consciousness of it ; (2nd) that my son lay for some time in two
different places, and that the apparition was thus seen by me, and (3rd) that
he felt most pain in his head and upper part of back, and this was evident
to me at the time.
Sheerness-on-Sea. W. H. SHKUBSOLE.
Mr. Shrubsole writes to us further :-—
Sheerness-on-Sea, December 28th, 1894.
I cannot remember that I spoke of the vision to any one before I found by
JUNE, 1895.] Cases Received by the Literary Committee. Ill
letter that my son was still alive. It is probable that I did not, for Mrs.
[Shrubsole was] then very unwell, and I did not want to alarm her. In
explanation of the declaration [printed below] being made, I may
mention that I laid some very serious charges against the captain be-
fore the Board of Trade. There was a very long correspondence. The
Foreign Office made enquiry respecting malpractices in Chili, and the
member for East Kent and the late C. Bradlaugh brought up the subject in
the House of Commons several times. I find that my son first informed me
of the accident by letter from Talcahuano dated April 10th, 1887.
W. H. SHRUBSOLE.
Extract from copy of declaration made at the Police-Court, Sheerness,
by Harry Shrubsole, on May 23rd, 1889 : —
I, Harry Shrubsole, now residing at 64, High-street, Sheerness-on-Sea,
do solemnly and sincerely declare that I was an apprentice in the Merchant
Service on board the barque "Killeena," of Glasgow. ... I further
declare that on March 7th , 1887, I was on board the Killeena in Lat. 34. S
And Lon. 84 W.
Between 9 and 10 a.m., I was in the main rigging hauling on the
fall of a tackle (which was rotten, and had been spliced in two places) when
it carried away, and I fell to the deck and became unconscious. On regaining
sensibility, I found myself lying on my back under one of the spare spars
amidships. After a while Malinberg (the man who was afterwards illegally
imprisoned at Talcahuano) came and lifted me up, and saying that he would
not let me lie there unattended any longer, he carried me to my bunk, where
I lay helpless for eight days until the ship arrived at Talcahuano.
HARRY SHRUBSOLE.
From the whole evidence, it appears somewhat doubtful whether
the vision really took place at the time of the accident, and since the
date of the former was not noted, the doubt cannot now be cleared up.
The time of day was apparently not the same, as between 9 and 10 a.m.
in Long. 84 W. would be nearly six hours later (not earlier, as Mr.
Shrubsole seems to have calculated) at Sheerness, i.e., between 3 and
4 p.m. It seems certain, however, that the vision occurred some time
before Mr. Shrubsole could have had any information of his son's condi-
tion by normal means.
CORRESPONDENCE.
[The Editor is not responsible for opinions expressed by Correspondents.']
ON EXPERIMENTS WITH EUSAPIA PALADINO.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
38, Serghievskaia, St. Petersburg, April 2Qth/ May 8th.
DEAR SIR, — May I be allowed to say a few words with regard to Mr.
Dixon's letter in the May Journal ?
Mr. Dixon thinks that there is no sufficient evidence to show that the
physical phenomena of Spiritualism are not due to '* suggestion " on the
112 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1895.
part of the medium and to illusion or hallucination on the part of the sitters;
and he suggests a series of experiments for the special purpose of testing
this hypothesis. I must say, I thought, before reading his letter, that this
same hypothesis had been disposed of long since. Surely no amount of
" suggestion " can explain the over-turning of chairs in Dr. Dariex' experi-
ments, in the absence of any recognised medium (Proceedings, Vol. VII.,
p. 194); or the direct writing obtained by Professor Alexander with the Davis
children (Ibid, p. 173) ; or Mr. Crookes' experiment on the board and spring-
balance, which Mr. Dixon has apparently forgotten, since he says that the
"possibilities of suggestion" were not excluded in D. D. Home's case ; or
the levitations of tables with Eusapia Paladino, which have been photographed.
And I must certainly have forgotten many other cases telling just as
strongly against Mr. Dixon's hypothesis. There is no particle of evidence to
support it. It has been disproved and refuted again and again ; and I confess
it is somewhat discouraging to see that it comes to the front once more.
I understand perfectly well an expert in conjuring like Mr. Richard
Hodgson, who sincerely believes and does his utmost to convince us that
the phenomena occurring in Eusapia's presence could have been produced
by legerdemain. By so doing he renders a most important service, not only
to the cause of truth, but even to the very phenomena the evidence for
which he is trying to disparage ; for if Mr. Hodgson's critique had not
appeared in the Journal, we should not have now the very conclusive and
convincing replies of Mr. Myers, Professor Lodge, M. Ch. "Richet, and Dr.
Ochorowicz, which have cleared up all doubtful points and placed definitively
Eusapia's phenomena on a solid basis. For my own part I think that all
students of "psychical" matters should heartily welcome all serious attempts
to explain apparently abnormal phenomena by conjuring ; and that nothing
but good can come from a thorough discussion of all possible sources of errors
in that line. For instance, though I do not at all believe that Eusapia could
have lifted the table with one of her feet or by means of a hook ; or that she
could have managed to get one of her hands free ; or that she had dummy
hands and feet hidden about her — yet I am very glad that these very points
have now been discussed, and I think that the possibilities of conjuring
should never be lost sight of in these matters. But I fail to see what would
be the use to devise experiments such as mentioned in Mr. Dixon's letter.
In my opinion it would be a mere waste of time, and, besides, would never
satisfy believers in "suggestion," who would still be asking for more proof*
of the objective character of the phenomena, as if the evidence we already
possess did not afford such proofs in abundance. Why do not those who hold
Mr. Dixon's views make experiments themselves ? It certainly devolves upon
them to prove that suggestion can act in the way they assert ; not upon
others to prove that it cannot. When they have brought forward an atom of
evidence to support their hypothesis, it will be time to examine and discuss
it. Meanwhile I prefer to adhere to the view that the testimony of three
or four sane and intelligent persons is amply sufficient to establish the
objectivity — I do not say the genuineness — of any phenomenon. — Believe
me, dear sir, yours very truly,
MICHAEL PETROVO-SOLOVOVO.
No. CXXL— VOL. VII. JULY, 1895.
JOURNAL
OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGE
New Members and Associates .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 113
Meeting of the Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
General Meeting 115
Queen Mary's Diamonds. By Andrew Lang 116
Cases Received by the Literary Committee 120
Correspondence 126
Supplementary Library Catalogue 128
NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.
Names of Members are printed in Black Type.
Names of Associates are printed in SMALL CAPITALS.
BARLOW, COLONEL W. R., 56, Penywern-road, London, S.W.
CLEVELAND, THE DUCHESS OF, 18, Grosvenor-place, London, S.W.
DAY, BARCLAY L., Redcot, Meads, Eastbourne.
Elliot, MlSS, Sandecotes, Parkstone, Dorset.
Fairer, The Lady, Abinger Hall, Dorking.
Johnes, Mrs., Dolaucothy, Llanwrda R.S.O., South Wales.
Mills, Thomas E., Cabra Parade, Dublin.
Portal, Miss V., 8, Beaufort-gardens, London, S.W.
ROGERS, R. S., M.D., Finders-street, Adelaide.
WESTLAKE, MRS. ERNEST, Vale Lodge, Harnpstead Heath, N.W.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
ANDERSON, PROFESSOR A. W., Macalester College, St. Paul, Minn.
BAKER, CYRUS O., 41, Franklin-street, Newark, N.J.
BLANCH ARD, REV. HENRY, D.D., Portland, Maine.
BURKE, Ex.-Gov. A. H., Duluth, Minn.
CLENDENNIN, DR. PAUL, Fort Warren, Boston, Mass.
CURRIE, REV. C. GEORGE, D.D., 1014, St. Paul's-street, Baltimore, Md.
BUTTON, HORACE, Auburndale, Mass.
EHLE, Louis C., Ashland Block, Chicago, 111.
GEHRING, ALBERT, 626, Pearl-street, Cleveland, Ohio.
HIRRITT, REV. FREDERICK W., Ottumwa, Iowa.
LANE, CHARLES D., Angels Camp, Calaveras County, California.
114 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, 1895.
LANE, MRS. CHARLES D., Angels Camp, Calaveras County, California.
MAGOUN, WALTER RUSSELL, 47, Tremont-street, Boston, Mass.
MINER, No YES B., Riverside, Cook County, 111.
MORGAN, LIEUT. GEO. H., Minneapolis, Minn.
OSGOOD, ARTHUR H., M.D., 12, Highland-avenue, Somerville, Mass.
RIALE, REV. F. N., Ph.D., Des Moines, Iowa
ROTAN, EDWARD, Waco, Texas.
SARGENT, C. S., M.D., Stockton, San Joaquin County, California.
STANTON, J. E., M.D., D.M.D., 414, Boylston-street, Boston, Mass.
THOMPSON, FRANK J., Fargo, North Dakota.
TOMLINSON, F. N., 39, Hodge's-building, Detroit, Mich.
WOODBRIDGE, PROFESSOR F. J. E., Univ. of Minn,, Minneapolis, Minn.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Council was held on Friday, July 5th, at the
Westminster Town Hall, Professor H. Sidgwick in the chair. There
were also present, Professor W. F. Barrett, Colonel J. Hartley, Dr.
Walter Leaf, Dr. A. Wallace, and Messrs. T. Barkworth, W. Crookes,
F. W. H. Myers, F. Podmore, H. Arthur Smith, R. Pearsall Smith,
and Sydney C. Scott.
Five new Members and five new Associates, whose names and
addresses are given above, were elected. The election of twenty-three
new Associates of the American Branch was recorded.
The decease of Mrs. Raphael, a member of the Society, was recorded
with regret.
Two presents to the library were on the table, for which a vote
of thanks was passed to the donors.
Since the Annual Business Meeting in January last, the Council
has been engaged in carrying out the resolution then adopted in
favour of the incorporation of the Society. The Rules, as then
passed, have been put into the form of " Articles of Association," to
which a " Memorandum of Association," defining the objects of the
Society, has been prefixed in the required form. In the course of the
communications which passed with the Board of Trade, it was found
that it would simplify and facilitate the proceedings if the word " In-
corporated " was added to the title of the Society, so that it would
henceforth be called " The Incorporated Society for Psychical
Research." The Council has passed a resolution agreeing to this.
The approval of the Board of Trade of the Memorandum and Articles
of Association has now been obtained, and at this meeting the
JCLY, 1895.] General Meeting. 115
necessary signatures were appended to these documents. The
registration is now merely a matter of detail, and the whole business
will shortly be completed. At the Annual Meeting, thanks were
accorded to Mr. H. Arthur Smith and Mr. Sydney C. Scott for the
work they had done up to that time. The indebtedness of the Society
to Messrs. Smith and Scott is greatly increased by the efficient
manner in which the Incorporation has been carried out, and by their
kindness in saving much expense which would otherwise have been
unavoidable.
After a full discussion, the following resolution, proposed by
Professor W. F. Barrett, was unanimously agreed to : — That it is
extremely desirable, as a general rule, that no paper be published in
the Proceedings of the Society except attested by and under the name
of the author or authors of that paper.
Various other matters of business having been discussed, it was
agreed that the next meeting of the Council be on Friday, October 4th,
at 4. 30 p.m., at 19, Buckingham-street, W.C.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 74th General Meeting of the Society was held at the West-
minster Town Hall, on Friday, July 5th, at 4 p.m.; Professor Sidgwick
in the chair.
PROFESSOR W. F. BARRETT read a paper on " Human Personality,
in the light of, and in its relation to, Psychical Research."
The object of the paper was to discuss the bearing of recent psycho
logical and psychical research on the principal attributes of personality
— viz. : self-consciousness, self-identification, self-communicatiou, self-
control, and self-determination, or what appears to be such.
The growth of the idea of personality — " of all that is actually or
potentially contained within himself " — was shown to be as gradual
in the race as it is in the child. We are discovering that there are
•" abysmal deeps of personality which startle us at times by the vastness
of the vistas they half disclose," and the author maintained that the
retention of self-consciousness — the chief attribute of personality —
in any condition of existence necessarily involved an ever widening,
in fact a limitless, scope to our personality. There must ever be before
us something to which we desire to attain if personality is to continue;
for an effortless existence, to which all education tends, ceases to be a
self-conscious one. Many, probably all, the reflex actions of the human
organism afford illustrations of this transition from a conscious
to an unconscious state. They are all outside of our voluntary control
116 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, 1895.
and belong to the region of the subliminal life. Psychical phenomena
belong in an especial degree to this region, and are therefore not
aided but injured by any interference of our will, just as a person
cannot sneeze, or laugh, or cry by forcibly attempting to do so.
The paper then dealt incidentally with the effect of emotion
in producing changes in the organism by reflex action : the effects pro-
duced on the skin and the secretions being most marked. This class
of psycho-physical phenomena was shown to extend even to the lower
forms of animal life ; the colour changes in the chameleon, the chame-
leon shrimp, and probably the very different colour changes in the skin
of larvae and pupae of certain butterflies being traced to a powerful
external suggestion, creating an emotional excitement which sets up
the change. The author suggested that possibly some of the curious
colour changes in the protective mimicry that occurs in the animal
might be due to a similar process. In stigmata, we have, in fact, the
effects of suggestion creating a mimicry of the wounds seen in the
object of adoration intently gazed at by the ecstatic. How far this
effect of suggestion on the subliminal life extends in the animal world,
it would be interesting to know.
MR. F. W. H. MYERS then read a paper on " Resolute Credulity,"
which will appear in the forthcoming part of the Proceedings.
The lateness of the hour unfortunately precluded any full discus-
sion of this paper, but it was evident that a section of the audience
regarded Mr. Myers' strictures as too sweeping. The Rev. J. Page Hopps
protested against Mr. Myers' view that there was no evidence for the
employment of occult power in any public entertainments, and other
gentlemen spoke to having witnessed with Mr. Husk phenomena which
they regarded as genuine.
QUEEN MARY'S DIAMONDS.
BY ANDREW LANG.
In anecdotes about " Retrocognition " the evidence is obviously
bad, as a rule. If the scene of the past beheld by the visionary is
unknown, it cannot be verified. But if it is anywhere recorded in an
accessible document (say in county histories) then we can never
demonstrate that the document is not the original source of the
visionary's information. He, or she, may swear that the document was
unknown to him or her, but nobody can be expected to believe the
statement.
What we need is an account of a vision of the past corroborated,
after publication, by a document not known to exist at the time of the
JULY, 1895.] Queen Mary's Diamonds. 117
occurrence of the vision, or of its publication. Nothing short of this
can make any impression on common sense, and even this would
probably fail. A case which comes measurably near to fulfilling the
required conditions is that of Queen Mary's Diamonds. How near it
comes, I leave to the members of the S.P.R. to decide. Had it been
just a trifle better, it would have sufficed for my conversion.
Dr. Gregory's Letters on Animal Magnetism were published in 1851.
The curious may consult Case 34 (p. 415), "transcribed from Major
Buckley's note-book." That document would be valuable here if it
could be procured. On November 15, 1845, Major Buckley mesmerised
a young officer. The officer averred that the cameo, or "medallion" of
Antony and Cleopatra, in the Major's ring, had (as he "saw") been
given to Mary Stuart, by a man, a musician, from Italy. " I see his
signature. It begins with an R, an I, a letter which looks like Z,
then another Z, then an I, then there is something which looks like an
E, with a curious flourish. I can write it." He wrote till he had
finished (had copied from a viewless manuscript on vellum, he said)
the words : —
Rizzio.
A.
M
I
DE LA PART
Next he " copied "
VOUS AMEZ— VOUS ETES BONNE.
He announced that, on the vellum, he saw " a diamond cross ; " the
smallest stone was larger than one of four carats, which he, or the
Major, possessed.
" It was worn, out of sight, by Mary. The vellum has been shewn
in the House of Lords " The diamonds were now hidden in the wall of
a ruined house.
He next said that a man had taken the Major's ring (the setting,
as the Major had it, was modern) off Mary's finger, on the first
occasion of her wearing it, " and threw it into the water." "She was
being carried in a kind of bed with curtains." Then he " saw " the
scene of Rizzio's murder, not quite correctly, I think, but the statement
is condensed, and it need not be understood as meaning that Rizzio
was slain in Mary's presence (p. 417).
Three weeks later, being again mesmerised, he remembered the
ring, and re-copied the words VOUS AMEZ— VOUS ETES BONNE.
He now wrote them thus : —
VOUS AMEZ PAR VOUS ETES BONNE.
118 Journal of Society for Psychical Research, f JULY, 1895.
" Between PAR and VOUS some letters are covered with some-
thing green and wet." On the " cross " he saw " an M., an S., then a
small word, then a large R." He decorated the right corners of his
sheet of paper with two leaves of the Thistle, the left, with flowers of
the Thistle. In the viewless original they " are in gold."
Dr. Gregory prints (p. 418) "a rough copy," by Major Buckley, of
the drawing made by the young officer. The cross is not represented.
If we only had the Major's note-book ! *
So much for the visions (November-December, 1845, published
1851).
Dr. Gregory and the Major seem to have made no search in Mary's
Inventories for presents from Rizzio to her, or for the diamond cross,
If they had looked into Mr. Thomson's collection of the Inventories,
then in print, they would have found nothing.
I myself consulted Dr. Joseph Robertson's edition of the
Inventories, of 1863 (Bannatyne Club). Here (p. xxxi., note 2), I
found mention of an Inventory and Will, made in June, 1566, before
the birth of James VI. (June 19th, 1566). This Inventory was found
at the Register House "in August, 1854, among some unassorted law
papers." Major Buckley, Dr. Gregory, and the young officer could not
have been aware in 1845, or in 1851, that any such document existed.
It was wholly unknown to everybody. Herein I found (p. Iv. and
note 1, cf. p. 123) that the Queen had received from Rizzio —
"Une enseigne garnye de dix rubis en tortue, avec une perle
pendante au bout."
Dr. Robertson remarks (p. Iv., note 1), "I have not observed any
other trace of this gift. Rizzio had grown rich during his short tenure
of power." " In schort tym he becam very rich," says Sir James.
Melville.
Now the Major may have known (from Melville's Memoirs) that
Rizzio became very rich, but that he gave Mary jewels Dr. Robertson
himself did not know before 1854, The rubies Mary bequeathed to
Rizzio's brother, Joseph, her private secretary, a lad of eighteen. She
also willed that an emerald ring, enamelled in white, and " une bacgue
garnye de xxi diamens tant grands que petis " (p. 122), shall be given
to Joseph Rizzio, "pour bailler a qui je lui ay dit dont il ranvoir
(sic) aquitance." Here, then, as Dr. Robertson observes, is " a mystery
into which it would be idle now to seek to pry." (p. Ivi.)
* Mr. Lang writes to us : — "January 28th, 1895. To-day, at the Castle, in the
room where James VI. was born, June 19th, 1566, I observed, in the square laquearies
of the (1617) roof, the same device, with a thistle flower at each corner, and I hear the
device recurs in a document of Queen Mary's. Is this coincidence, or design? Had the
officer got up his facts, so far, at the Castle ? Was Buckley in Edinburgh in 1845 ? "
JULY, 1895.] Queen Mary's Diamonds. 119
There I leave it to the reader. A " bague," of course, is any jewel
in old French. Are the " xxi diamonds small and large " of the
Queen's secret bequest, the same diamonds (also of various sizes), which
" Mary wears out of sight," in the officer's vision, and which he
connects with Rizzio 1 I do not find the jewel in any Inventory of
Mary's before that of 1566.
Nota bene. — Rizzio spelled his name Riccio, but I have seen no
signature of his.
It is said to me that any young officer in Edinburgh (but nothing
is said of his being in Edinburgh) might dream about Queen Mary.
But would he know that she was carried in a litter ? The litter is in
the Inventory, "a bed with curtains," as the officer said, and the
curtains were " of velvet crainoisie." Mary usually rode, but at the
time of Rizzio's death, she was within four months of her confinement.
Why was " the vellum shewn in the House of Lords " ? We only
know that Mary's papers were shown in the Scots Parliament and
before Elizabeth's Commission, at Westminster. The Major and the,
officer might easily know that fact. The letters M.R.S may stand for
Maria Regina Scotorum.
The whole comes to this, — the vision of 1845 shewed presents from
Rizzio to the Queen (then unknown to history) and diamonds with a
secret of their own, " worn out of sight." History knew no such
diamonds.
The discovered document, nine years later, revealed a valuable
present from Rizzio to Mary, and the existence of diamonds with
a secret, a secret that could be shared with a boy of eighteen,
who was Rizzio's brother. In the vision " a letter which looks like a
Z " is set down as a Z ; it should have been a C. That may be fatal,
unless Rizzio's C's were capable of being construed into Z's by a person
who, in his normal state of consciousness, probably wrote Z's in Rizzio.
We neel Major Buckley's note-book, and we need an example of
Rizzio's signature.
A diamond " cross " or a diamond " bague " are, I think, terms
fairly interchangeable.
For whom did Mary really intend her bague of twenty-one
diamonds ? Bothwell and the Guises and other unpopular friends
receive publicly announced bequests of value. As the donor of the
visionary diamonds, Dr. Gregory suggests the Pope, sending them
through Rizzio. We know that some time in 1566 (letter undated),
Mary expected a gift of money from Pius V., the money to be brought
by the Bishop of Dunblain, but the lack of date makes conjecture
undesirable (Labanoff. Vol. VII., p. 356).
120 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, 1895.
CASES RECEIVED BY THE LITERARY COMMITTEE.
The four following cases we print together, as all of them occurred
in the course of the present year.
L. 990. Ae Pn Impression.
The first comes from Mr. W., of King's College, Cambridge.
He writes to Mr. Myers : —
Eton Villa, Shanklin, Isle of Wight, May 22nd, 1895.
At the beginning of the Lent Term I met with a serious accident which
deprived me of the memory of words, and also induced a little temporal
paralysis which interfered with the pronunciation of words. It is only the
last few weeks that I have learnt to spell, and write grammatically.
My object in writing to you is to acquaint you with an apparent telepathic
occurrence in connection with my recent illness.
The story, I think, is sufficiently detailed in the two documents I enclose.
The one signed " D.W." is my sister's ; the other signed " E.S." is written
by my mother's lady's-maid.
The affection subsisting between me and my sister is of a very close
nature.
The maid is a very clever woman, religious, truthful and accurate.
I ought to tell you that the period when unconsciousness supervened
dated from about 4 o'clock on the afternoon of January 17th.
J. T. W.
Miss W. writes : —
On the 17th of January of this year, I was haunted all day by an inde-
finable dread, amounting to positive terror — if I yielded in the least to its
influence. A little before 6 o'clock, I went to my maid's room and casually
inquired of her whether she believed in presentiments. She answered,
" Don't let them get hold of you, it is a bad habit." I replied, " This is no
ordinary presentiment ; all day long I have felt that something terrible is
impending, — of what nature I do not know ; I have fought against it, but to
no purpose ; it is a terror I am positively possessed with." I was proceeding
to describe it in fuller detail, when my mother entered the room with a tele-
gram in her hand. One glance at her face told me that my foreboding had
not been a groundless depression. The telegram was to the effect that my
brother had been taken ill at Cambridge, and needed my mother at once to
nurse him.
I presume that the intensity of my foreboding was due to the very serious
nature of his illness.
I experience at different times what are in common parlance termed
"presentiments"; but only on one other occasion has the same peculiar
" terror " (a chilling conviction of impending trouble) beset me.
D.W.
The following is the maid's testimony : —
May 19th, 1895.
A remarkable circumstance occurred on the 17th of January. I had been
out, and when 1 came in about a quarter to six, Miss W. came to my room
JULY, IMS.] Cases Received by the Literary Committee. 121
with me, and asked me if I believed in presentiments, for she had been
haunted all day by a feeling that something dreadful was going to happen.
Miss W. had not time to describe her sensations in detail, before a
telegram came, with the news that her brother had been suddenly taken
ill. " E. S.
L. 991. Ad Pn Apparition.
This case came to us through Mr. A. Aksakoff, who received it
from Mrs. Broussiloff. She writes : —
St. Petersburg, April 19th, 1895.
On the 16th (28th) of February of this year (1895) between 9 and 10
o'clock in the evening, I, the undersigned, was sitting in our drawing-room —
the small one — facing the large drawing-roorn which I could see in its entire
length. My husband, his brother with his wife, and my mother were also
sitting in the same room with me round a large round table. I was writing
down my household accounts for the day, whilst the others were carrying on
some gay conversation. Having accidentally raised my head and looked into
the large drawing-room, I noticed, with astonishment, that a large gray
shadow had passed from the door of the dining-room to that of the ante-
chamber ; and it came into my head that the figure I had seen bore a strik-
ing resemblance in stature to Colonel Av*-Meinander, an acquaintance of
ours, who had lived in this very lodging for a long time. At the first
moment I wished to say at once that a ghost had just flashed before me, but
stopped, as I was afraid of being laughed at by my husband's brother and his
wife, and also of being scolded by my husband, who, in view of the excite-
ment which I showed when such phenomena were taking place, tried to con-
vince me that they were the fruit of my fancy. As I knew that Meinander
was alive and well, and was commander of the " Malorossiisky " 40th regi-
ment of dragoons, I did not say anything then ; but when I was going to
bed, I related to my mother what I had seen, and the next morning could not
refrain from mentioning it to my husband.
Our astonishment was extreme when on the 18th of February (2nd of
March) we learned that Nicholas Ottovitch Av-Meinander had actually died
after a short illness on the 16th (28th) of February at 9 o'clock in the
evening, in the town of Stashovo,t where his regiment is stationed.
ANNA NICOLAIEVNA BROUSSILOFF.
Mrs. Broussiloff's mother writes : —
My daughter did actually relate to me on February 16th (28th), about
midnight, when I was going to bed, about the phantom she had seen,
precisely as she has described it above.
MARIE VON HAGEMEISTERJ
Colonel Broussiloff writes : —
Arakich&eff Barracks, St. Petersburg, April ISth, 1895.
Colonel Nicholas Ottovitch Av-Meinander and his family had formerly
* Particle equivalent to the German " von" (the name is a Swedish one),
t Government of Radom, Poland, 1,200 versts from Petersburg.
122 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, 1895.
lived for about nine years at a time in the lodging where we live now. Both
he and the members of his household liked this lodging very much, and
parted with it with regret about four years ago, in consequence of his
appointment as commander of the " Malorossiisky " 40th regiment of
dragoons, stationed in the town of Stashovo.
From time to time my wife had already seen ghosts before, which threw
her into a great state of excitement. I consequently did my utmost to per-
suade her not to pay any attention to such phenomena and to consider them
them as the fruit of imagination. My wife had never seen anything super-
natural for the last two years, and was inexpressibly glad of it. She is a
woman of a quiet and equable character, and is not nervous generally. On
the 16th (28th) of February, no one of us had any reason to be excited or
to think about Meinander, as, according to information that was to hand,
both he and his family were in excellent health. When my wife related to
me her vision in the morning of February 17th, I laughed at her and
requested her not to think about this case, which I considered to be a halluci-
nation. The first news of Meinander's unexpected demise was received by
us on February 18th, when we read in the [military] " order of the day"
[appended to the original narrative in Russian] that Meinander was dead and
that a funeral service for the rest of his soul was to be celebrated ; and the
next morning we read in the [obituary notices of the] Novoie Vremia, No.
6,816, that he had died on February 16th (28th), at nine o'clock in the
evening.
COLONEL ALEXIS- ALEXE'IEYITCH BROUSSILOFF.
P. 178. Dream.
The next case, which originally appeared in the newspapers in
connection with the report of an inquest at Birmingham, was
investigated by Mr. Martyn Smith, of Abberton Hall, Pershore, a
Member of the S.P.R. He writes :—
April 26th, 1895.
I was in court and heard all the evidence, which was on oath, and to my
mind seems to point directly to a case of thought-transference.
The following is the newspaper account of the inquest, sent by Mr.
Martyn Smith : —
Another inquest had reference to the death of Rose Foster (13), 32 Court,
14 house, Camden-street, whose body was found in the canal at Spring Hill,
on the 19th inst. [i.e. April 19th.] The mother stated that her daughter was
very nervous and frightened, especially at thunder and lightning. A little
while ago she was told that she was suffering from an affection of the kidneys,
which would put her life in danger unless she was very careful. She hnd
been living with her aunt, but on Good Friday she came home of her own
free will. On Wednesday she left the house suddenly, and was not seen
alive by witness again. Several witnesses were called, who spoke to seeing
deceased sheltering from the thunderstorm under the bridge, and Thomas
Tarpler said he was in a boat on the canal near the bridge when the storm
JULY, 1895.] Cases Received by the Literary Committee. 123
was at its height, and he heard a scream and a splash, but he did not see
any one. Elizabeth Turton stated that on Wednesday she was going with
the deceased over Spring Hill Bridge, when witness remarked to her, " Oh,
that water !" Witness said this because about twelve months ago she fell
into the water there. Deceased said, " I feel as if I could jump over there "
(meaning the bridge). Witness upon this said to deceased, " Oh, you soon
want to part with your life. I have not seen enough enjoyment yet."
Foster answered, " You don't know what trouble I have had to go through."
Mrs. Jeffrey, of the George Inn, Grove-lane, Smethwick, aunt of the
deceased, said the girl had lived with her for some weeks. She was sulky,
and witness told her she would have to go back home if she did not behave
herself. Thereupon the girl left of her own accord. On Tuesday* the
girl's brother came to tell her she was missing. That night witness dreamt
that she was walking along the towing-path of the canal to her sister's
house, and that while stirring the water with her umbrella she saw the
face of her niece. Next morning she went to the scene, and found the
police dragging underneath the bridge. She asked them to drag at the
spot where in her dream she saw the face. They did so, and at once found
the body. It was some distance from the bridge.
Mr. Martyn Smith sends us the following notes of his interviews
with Mrs. Jefferies, and with the Police Inspector who superintended
the dragging of the canal : —
May Uth, 1895.
Mrs. Jefferies, of the George Inn, Grove Lane, Smethwick, says it was
the Wednesday after Good Friday that her niece (Foster) was missing. On.
the following day her (Mrs. Jefferies') nephew, brother of the niece, called
on his aunt, saying that he did not think she was alive, as some girls had
told him his sister had said she would not speak to them again — meaning she
would not see them — and he suspected she was drowned. The aunt said,
"Oh, I should not take any notice of that, she'll turn up," or something to
that effect. Mrs. J. , however, continued to think about it (as her niece used
to live with her), and the same night, Thursday, had a dream. She thought
she was walking along the side of the canal at Spring Fill with an umbrella,
which she let touch to ripple the water ; when at a certain spot she saw the
face of her niece appear above the surface twice, and the second time she
caught it by the hair, lifted her out and clasped her to her breast and kissed
her. She woke up after the dream much terrified. She told it to her
servant and may have told it to others.
The next morning (Friday) she heard that the police were dragging
the canal and went — she had not been near the spot for 5 or 6 years before
— and spoke to the sergeant, told him of her dream, and asked if he would
try the drag at the place she had seen the face in her dream. They did so.
The face of the girl appeared above the water just as she had seen it (in
sleep) ; it sank again, and the second time the face appeared in the same
position, and the brother leaped into the water and clasped the body to his
breast and kissed the face as the aunt had dreamt she herself had done.
* Obviously a misprint for " Thursday."
124 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, 1895.
Mrs. Jefferies says that previous to anything unusual happening to her
or her connexions she has some " warning " by dreams. She is sister to the
mother of the drowned girl. She did not know before her dream that the
•canal would be dragged, nor had she received any intimation about it.
Birmingham, May 7th, 1895.
Acting -Inspector Whittingham was told off in charge of two minor officers
>to drag the canal near to the spot where the girl had been last seen. While
there he was accosted by the aunt, who stood by the canal side and appeared
•to take great interest in what was going on, and she asked him whether she
might tell him a dream that she had had the previous night. Thereupon she
•explained that in her dream she had a clear view of the dying girl, but some
distance from the spot where they were then dragging— about 55 to 60 yards.
The inspector suggested that the men should go to the other spot, and recom-
menced the dragging, and they came across the body at the point indicated,
the fourth or fifth time of putting in the drag.
MARTYN SMITH.
M.C1. 93. Crystal vision.
This case was sent to us by Mr. Andrew Lang. He is well
acquainted with all the witnesses, whose names were given us in
confidence.
The following is the account of the seer : —
St. Andrews, February 10th, 1895.
On Sunday, January 20th, 1895, at about 5.30 p.m., I was crystal gazing
and saw Miss M. L. in her drawing-room in , sitting on a sofa, pouring
out tea for a man in a blue serge suit, whose back was towards me. I noticed
he had a brown moustache. Miss L. was dressed in a dark-coloured blouse
Avith a lace covering over the shoulders. There was a lamp at Miss L. 's left
hand. I described what I had seen to her, and she said what I had seen was
quite correct. R. T. B.
Miss M. L. writes : —
Mr. B., without explaining why, asked me at a ball if I had been giving
tea to a man on the previous Sunday afternoon. Such a thing is possible
any Sunday ; but he then proceeded to describe my dress and also exactly
where I was sitting, so much so, that I at once said that one of the blinds
must have been up and that he had seen me from the other side of the road,
which, however, proves impossible, as Mr. B. was in St. Andrews at the
time.
He also described where the other man was sitting, with his back to the
window, and I was on the sofa giving out tea, all of which I answered
unwittingly in the affirmative. This is all I can remember. M. L.
Mr. B.'s sister writes to Mr. Lang : —
February 12th, 1895.
I enclose the separate accounts. T. wrote his in St. Andrews on Sunday,
and Miss L.'s was written yesterday in answer to my letter and without her
having seen T. again. I am quite confident that he did see the picture,
though he insists that it must have been a mere coincidence.
JCLT, 1895.] Casea Received by the Literary Committee. 125-
L. 992. Dream.
From Mrs. Clarkson, of Alverthorpe Hall, Wakeh'eld.
This case also was recorded, with complete corroboration, within a
few days after it happened. It will be observed, however, that there
was no exact coincidence of time, and the information conveyed by the
dream was only partially correct.
Miss C. Clarkson writes : —
Alverthorpe Hall, Wakefield, May 8th, 1894.
On Sunday May 5th, 1894,* my sister and I were boating on the river
Derwent, in Yorkshire (near Kirkham Abbey) with a party of friends in a
small steam launch. Between three and four o'clock in the afternoon, we
had all landed to gather cowslips in the fields, and on returning to the boat,
for some reason the usual plank for landing was not in position, and we
jumped in turn from the bank on to the flat end of the boat. I was the last,
and in jumping missed my footing and slipped into the water, catching
the edge of the boat however with my hands as I went, and supporting my-
self— so that I was not totally immersed, though the water was a good depth
where we were. Two of the gentlemen rushed forward and pulled me out by
my arms. I said as I was being hauled up, " It is no use pulling so hard,
you hurt me." One of them said " We must pull, if we are to get you out."
I was got on to the boat in a very short time, and was never in any danger.
We returned to our own home the next day, and never mentioned in the
slightest way the little accident to any one, lest my father, who is a very
old man, should be alarmed or worried at what had happened. Shortly after
we returned, my step-mother said to my sister, " Have you had an accident
on the river?" <;I? No," said my sister. "Because," continued my
step-mother, "I had a very distressing dream about you last night— I
dreamt you fell into the river, and I was in the boat and got hold of your
hair, and tried to pull you out. You said, ' Don't pull so hard, you hurt me.'
I said ' You had better be hurt than drowned.' "
Then, and not till then, did we tell her that one of us really had had an
accident precisely as she had dreamed, but that her dream had made a mis-
take in the identity of the sisters.
According to my step-mother's account, my father also seemed to have
been a little anxious and uneasy in his sleep that night, and in the morning
rather pointedly asked her if she had dreamt anything, but said nothing
further ; and nothing was afterwards said to him to make him aware of what
had happened. My step-mother's dream was during the night after the
accident occurred. CHEISTABKL CLARKSON.
Miss Clarkson adds : —
I have asked Mrs. Clarkson if she ever had any other dreams of the kind,
but she says not.
She enclosed the following accounts from Mrs. Clarkson and her
sister.
* The first Sunday in May, 1894, was really the 6th.
126 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, 1895.
May 14tfi, 1894.
On Sunday night, May 6th, 1894, [I had] a dream which appeared
remarkable ; in effect, was this, — that Louisa Clarkson was in the water
apparently drowned, and I said, "Take care, or you will go," and pulled her
in by her hair. Her answer was " Do not pull so hard, you hurt me." I
still pulled, saying, "You had better be hurt than drowned." The following
day, on her return home, I enquired of her if she had an accident during
her visit. She said, " Well, something like one ; my sister got into the water
and used just the same words, ' Don't pull so hard, you hurt me.' >:
Her answer to me was " Well, it is strange."
ANNIE PILKINGTON CLARKSON.
P. S. — I enquired of Louisa before hearing a word of the accident.
May 14th, 1894.
Very soon after my sister and I returned from our river expedition on the
7th of May, my step-mother came to me and said, " d ave you had any accident
while you have been away?" I replied, " I ? No." She then said, " Because
I had such a strange dream about you lastriight," relating the circumstances,
and repeating the very words my sister had used and those used to her by
the gentleman who got her out of the water. I then said it was very
strange, because my sister had had exactly such an accident as she had
dreamt. No one except those who had been with us in the boat knew a
word of the accident. LOUISA CLARKSON.
CORRESPONDENCE.
[The Editor is not responsible for opinions expressed by Correspondents.]
A NOTE ON "MESMERIC PASSES."
To the Editor of the JOURNAL OP THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
SIR, — I should like to have the opinion of hypnotists on the value and
mode of operation (if any) of the so-called " mesmeric passes." Have they
any utility per se 1
I think most of us will admit that they often form a very potent and con-
venient mode of using suggestion. Since I began to study hypnotism,
I have tried to decide for myself the question, whether (1) any force is really
transmitted from the hypnotist to his subject ; or (2) that the supposed
effect of the passes is due only to suggestion. Hitherto, I have not seen
sufficient evidence to point definitely to either conclusion. But may not
both conclusions be partially true ? I think it is easily demonstrable that
suggestion plays a great part here. For the hypnotic with his exalted senses
is often aware that passes — even those without contact — are being made, and
verbal suggestion often tells him their import. But I am inclined to think
that there is something beyond this, not to be accounted for by suggestion.
[The writer then suggests that possibly the unknown force concerned in
passes is some manifestation of electricity or magnetism in a modified or
allotropic form, and proceeds : — ]
I will now mention a few facts that have occurred under my personal
observation, which appear to me to support this hypothesis. But first, I
JULY, 1895.] Correspondence. 127
should like to say that I am not aware that a galvanometer has ever shown
any electrical current passing from operator to subject, when neither body
is insulated.
1. I have, though rarely, experienced great physical exhaustion following
the use of passes in a hypnotic stance.
2. Hypnotics are often aware of the direction or position of passes with-
out contact, or know when they are or are nut being made. This may be due
sometimes to telepathy, or to the hypersesthesia of their sense of touch,
hearing, [or] temperature, [or to their] feeling the current of air caused by
the hypnotist's hands.
3. A patient lying on her side in bed with face turned away from me,
and clothed with one fold of garment, was able repeatedly to tell me what
part of her spine my fingers were pointing at, though they were not touch-
ing it, but were within an inch or two.
4. A deaf man with eyes blindfolded, sitting dressed opposite to me,
could tell much more often than not when I made slow passes without con-
tact over his thighs.
In these last two cases, I maintain that the subjects could not tell position
of my hands from feeling warmth from them.
5. A very sensitive hysterical woman winced repeatedly when I made
passes slowly from above downwards, several inches away from her body,
and could only bear them when made at a distance of several feet.
6. The same subject turned her head away repeatedly when I placed,
unknown to her, a compound bar magnet pointing to her occiput at a distance
of from three to six inches.
7. In several subjects, after making passes over the head and chest, the
respiration became laboured, or symptoms of hysteria arose. Long passes,
without contact, from head to foot calmed them, and respiration became
normal ; this looks as though the long passes relieved a congestion by
•equalising the influence all over the body. The same calming effect was
noticed if I made dispersive passes rapidly across the head and chest.
8. A subject sat asleep, excited and moaning. I placed my wrists
lightly against her temples with my fingers pointing upwards. The result
was that the patient became rapidly calm and comfortable. A few times
while doing this, I seemed to feel a warm aura running off at my finger tips,
while my hands, previously slightly moist, became hot and dry in a few
seconds. Many times when doing this, I have noticed no aura when the
patient was quiet, although I was looking out for it.
9. Several times, a silently exerted will, together with passes, have pro-
duced phenomena desired, such as willing one arm to remain stiff after
awaking. This might be due to telepathy.
10. Many other times I have noticed other things, not coming under the
above heads, which point to the same conclusion —viz. : that there is an in-
fluence passing from operator to subject, not wholly accounted for by the
theory of suggestion.
LC. THEODORE GKEEN, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., London.
Birkenhead, June, 1895.
128 Journal of Society for Psychical Research, [JULY, 1895.
SUPPLEMENTARY LIBRARY CATALOGUE.
Additions since the last list (JoURXAL/or December, 1894).
THE EDMUND GURNEY LIBRARY.
PSYCHOLOGIQUE, L'AxN^E, Publie'e par M.M. H. Beaunis et A. Binet,
Premiere Annee, 1894 Paris, 1895
ScHRBNCK-NoxziNG (Dr. Freiherr von), Die Bedeutung narcotischer
Mittel fur den Hypnotismus. Reprint from the " Schriften der
Gesellschaft fur psychologische Forschung "— Heft 1. ...Leipzig, 1891
STOLL (Dr. Otto), Suggestion und Hypnotismus in der Volker
Psychologic Leipzig, 1894
THE GENERAL LIBRARY.
DRELINCOURT (Rev. Charles), The Christian's Defence against the
Fears of Death. From the French, by Marius D'Assigny, B.D,,
with an account of the Author and his last minutes, and a true
relation of the Apparition of Mrs. Veal, after her death, to Mrs.
Bargrave, 2?th Edition Liverpool, 1810
GREENWOOD (Frederick), Imagination in Dreams and their
Study London, 1894J
"I AWOKE ! " Conditions of Life on the Other Side. Communicated
by Automatic Writing (Enlarged Edition) London, 1895
"Light." Bound volume for 1894 London, 1894*
Modern Christianity and Modern Spiritualism. By Arcanus. (Printed
for private circulation) 1890t
SHUFELDT (Dr. R. W.), Lectures on Biology. Delivered before the
Catholic University of America. Reprinted from The American
Field Chicago, 1892t
The Spiritual Record, June, 1883— May, 1884. (All published) Glasgow 1883-4
The Drama of Life, or, The Evolution of Man. Communicated by
Automatic Writing. Through the same source as "I
Awoke !" London, 1895
EORAKA. Notes sur 1'Esotdrisme. Par un Templier de la
R.C.C Paris, 1891
ERNY (Alfred), Le Psychisme Experimental Paris, 1895
METZGER (D.), Essai de Spiritisme Scientifique Pan'*, [1895]
* Presented by the London Spiritualist Alliance.
t Presented by the Author.
* Presented by Mr. Clement H. Hill.
No. CXXIL— VOL. VII. OCTOBER, 1895.
JOURNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGE
New Members and Associates 129
Meeting of the Council 130
General Meeting 131
Case Received by the Literary Committee 133
Correspondence .. .. 142
NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.
Names of Members are printed in Black Type.
Names of Associates are printed in SMALL CAPITALS.
BLYTH, W. M., 20, Highbury-terrace, London, N.
CANDLER, H. A. W., 37, Commercial-road East, London, E.
CHICHELE-PLOWDEN, TREVOR, C.S.I., The Residency, Hyderabad,
Deccan, India.
CRACKANTHORPE, MRS., 65, Rutland-gate, London, W.
-CROOKS, Miss, Kensington, South Australia.
* DUNHAM, Miss HELKN, 11, Half-Moon-street, Piccadilly, London, W.
EMANUEL, VICTOR R., 67, Queensborough-terrace, Hyde Park, London, W.
FIELD, E. M., M.A., Cotswold, Bishopswood-road, Highgate, N.
HALL, MRS. M. H., Blenheim Lodge, Surbiton.
KLUHT, Miss H. M. 156, Westbourne-grove, London, W.
LEVY, MRS., 16, Campden House-road, Kensington, London, W.
LOUGHNANE, JOHN, Clonkeen, Aughrim, Ballinasloe, Ireland.
McCoNNEL, H. W., M.A., M.B., M.R.C.S., Manor House, Ryburgh,
Norfolk.
Wheeler, Major-General F., Rtd., 8, Oxford-terrace, London, W.
YOUNG, MRS. W. R., Liscoom, Bally mena, co. Antrim.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
ALDEN, HENRY M., Metucken, New Jersey.
BALDWIN, ELBERT F., 13, Astor-place, New York, N.Y.
MURPHY, HON. FRANKLYN, 1,027, Broad-street, Newark, N.J.
Peabody, Mrs. A. P., 47, Commonwealth-avenue, Boston, Mass.
SMALLEY, ORA O., Jaybird, Ohio.
WHITTAKER, THOMAS, 71, East 66th-street, New York, N.Y.
130 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., 1895.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Council was held on Friday, October 4th, at the
Rooms of the Society, 19, Buckingham-street, W.O., Professor H.
Sidgwick in the chair. There were also present Professor O. J. Lodge,
Dr. Walter Leaf, Dr. G. F. Rogers, Dr. A. Wallace, and Messrs. F.
W. H. Myers, F. Podmore, S. C. Scott, H. A. Smith, and R. Pearsall
Smith. Dr. Richard Hodgson was also present part of the time by
invitation.
The applications for election of one new Member and fourteen
new Associates, whose names and addresses are given above, were
approved. The formal completion of the election was left over
until the first meeting of the Council of the Incorporated Society.
The election of one new Member and five new Associates of the
American Branch was recorded.
Mr. Thos. E. Mills, who was elected at the July Council Meeting,
desires his election to date from October 1st. This was agreed to.
At his request the name of Mr. Thos. Hunter was transferred from
the list of Members to that of Associates ; and at her request the name
of Miss Dallas was transferred, from the end of the current year, from
the list of Associates to that of Members.
The decease of Lieut.-Colonel A. Ewing, a Member of the Society,
was recorded with regret.
The Council gratefully acknowledges the receipt of a further sum
of £100 from the Marquis of Bute, for the purpose of carrying on
the " Second Sight " Inquiry.
Mr. Sydney C. Scott reported that the Incorporation of the Society
had been completed. The necessary Licence of the Board of Trade
had been obtained, and the Society was registered on August 7th ; 250
copies of the Memorandum and Articles of Association had been
printed, and were obtainable at the Rooms of the Society for Is. each
post free. Each copy includes a list of the Members and Associates of
the Society at the date of registration.
It was agreed that the first General Meeting of the Members of
the Incorporated Society should be held, for business purposes only,
at the Westminster Town Hall, on Friday, November 1st, at 4 p.m.*
Also, that the first meeting of the Council of the Incorporated Society
be held at the close of the General Meeting of Members.
It was further agreed that, since the October General Meeting (for
the reading of Papers) had been altered from an afternoon to an
* This Meeting is one of Members only, not Associates, and only for business
purposes.
OCT., 1895.] General Meeting. 131
evening meeting, the meeting arranged for December 6th should be
held at 4 p.m., instead of at 8.30 p.m., as announced in the Journal
for July.
A General Meeting, for the reading of Papers, was also arranged
to be held on Friday, January 31st, 1896, at 4 p.m., at the Westminster
Town Hall.
Other matters of business having been attended to, it was agreed,
as above-mentioned, that the Council of the Incorporated Society
meet at the close of the Members' meeting, at the Westminster Town
Hall on Friday, November 1st.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 75th General Meeting of the Society was held at the West-
minster Town Hall on Friday, October llth, at 8.30 p.m.
The chair was taken by PROFESSOR SIDGWICK, who said that he
wished, before proceeding to the paper announced, to make a state-
ment on another matter of interest to the Society. It would be
remembered that at a meeting held in October of last year, an
account was given by Professor Lodge of some experiments with
an Italian " medium," Eusapia Paladino, in which physical pheno-
mena professedly supernormal were produced. He had on that
occasion thought it right to give some support from his own
experience — though only a limited and qualified support — to the claims
of this medium. He had, in fact, been impressed by her performances ;
but had thought that further experiments were necessary before coming
to a final conclusion. Accordingly, in conjunction with Mr. Myers and
others, he had made another series of experiments with the same
medium in England, in August and September of the present year :
and, after comparing his own experiences with those of other members
of the group of investigators, he considered it to be proved beyond a
doubt that the medium had used systematic trickery throughout this
series of sittings. Her modus operandi he would leave it to Dr. Hodgson
to describe, who — though only present during a part of the sittings —
had had better opportunities for personally observing the actual process
of fraud. When this trickery had been discovered, the greater part
of the phenomena offered as supernormal at these sittings were at once
explained : and, this being so, he thought it, in the circumstances,
unreasonable to attribute — even hypothetically — to supernormal
agency the residuum that was not so easily explicable. And, consider-
ing the great general resemblance between the performances of the
medium at these sittings and those which he had witnessed last year,
132 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., 1895.
he was now disposed to think that his earlier experiences were to be-
similarly explained : he therefore wished to withdraw altogether the
limited and guarded support which he had given last year to the
supernormal pretensions of Eusapia Paladino.
Dr. HODGSON said that most of the members were probably aware
that while in America, and before he had seen Eusapia, he had
criticised the reports of her performances, and had come to the con-
clusion that the evidence offered was not sufficient to establish the
occurrence of any supernormal phenomenon in connection with her
seances. They would therefore not be surprised that he felt
strengthened in this conclusion by the series of seances in Cambridge
in which he shared, and in which he had the opportunity of observing;
for himself the surreptitious freeing of foot and hand which he had
conjectured in his previous criticism to constitute the main part of
Eusapia's trick-devices. He did not think it necessary to suppose the
use of any complicated apparatus at the seances where he was present ;
probably no more instruments were required than a handkerchief and
a small object, such as a coin or a piece of paper, covered with some
phosphorescent prepai-ation. He then illustrated the general principle of
the method used by Eusapia in getting one hand or foot free from control,
and remarked upon her special cleverness in dealing with the hands of
the sitters, so as to prevent their suspecting that one of her hands was.
doing duty for two. He had been enabled to perceive this process in
detail when Professor Sidgwick was holding Eusapia's other hand.
Apparently Eusapia had previously ascertained that Professor Sidgwick
insisted upon guarding securely the hand entrusted to him, and she
immediately set to work to get the other hand free. Dr. Hodgson
illustrated the process by giving his left hand to Professor Sidgwick to-
hold, pointing out how Professor Sidgwick was rightly assured that it
was really the left hand, by the way in which he used the active grasp,
so as to locate clearly the position of the thumb with reference to the
rest of the hand ; and he then showed how the finger-tips of the left
hand were substituted for the finger-tips of the right hand so as to
preserve hand contact with the sitter on the other side, thus allowing
the right hand to become free. He then showed how Eusapia made
one foot do duty for two by getting the sitters on each side of her to-
place their feet so that she could press upon one of their feet with the
heel, and upon the other with the toe of the same foot. Concerning
the movement of articles supposed to be beyond her reach, he said that
it was specially observed that articles that were beyond her ordinary
reach at the beginning of the seance became, later on, well within her
reach, owing to the fact that during the preliminary part of the seance
OCT., 1895.] General Meeting. 133
the table at which she was seated was continually being moved about
and gradually drawn nearer to the articles.
Mr. F. W. H. MYERS said : I feel it to be my duty to endorse
what Professor Sidgwick has said as to the unsatisfactory character of
the seances held this summer in my house with Eusapia Paladino. I
cannot doubt that we observed much conscious and deliberate fraud,
of a kind which must have needed long practice to bring it to its
present level of skill. Nor can I find any excuse for her fraud (assuming
that such excuse could be valid) in the attitude of mind of the persons,
several of them distinguished in the world of science, who assisted in
this inquiry. Their attitude was a fair and open one ; in all cases
they showed patience ; and in several cases the impression at first made
on their minds was distinctly favourable. With growing experience,
however, and careful observation of the precise conditions permitted
or refused to us, the existence of some fraud became clear : and fraud
was attempted when the tests were as good as we were allowed to
make them, quite as indisputably as on the few occasions when our"
holding was intentionally left inadequate in order to trace more
exactly the modus operandi. Moreover, the fraud occurred both in
the medium's 'waking state and during her real or alleged trance.
I do not think that there is adequate reason to suppose that any
of the phenomena at Cambridge were genuine.
As to the far more striking phenomena which I witnessed in 1894
at the lie Roubaud, some of these continue, in my judgment at least,
inexplicable by the tricks observed at Cambridge. And it must be noted
that Professor Richet, whose belief has always been contingent upon
good holding, had already observed all or most of these tricks, and had
pointed them out in his Report on the Milan experiments. I do not,
however, myself now wish to press any incidents in Eusapia's past
career as evidentially cogent.
More than this it would not at present be fitting for me to say.
The confidence in some of Eusapia's phenomena felt by several of the
main continental investigators has not been destroyed ; and a French
group, to whom Eusapia passed after leaving my house, and to whom I
forwarded full information as to our recent experiences, tell me that
they have, since receiving that information, obtained phenomena
which they still regard as genuine. So long as further experiments
are being made by persons of recognised scientific position, fair-minded
persons will prefer to judge of such phenomena as these investigators
may obtain from the reports which they themselves may make on them.
Mr. MYERS then read the following letter from PROFESSOR LODGE,
who was unable to be present : —
134 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., 1895.
I have myself only had two sittings at Cambridge, both of them since the
discovery of fraud. The first of them seemed to me to contain some
genuine features, the second was fraudulent throughout. I took pains to
examine and verify this latter fact, and am entirely convinced of it, though
I express no opinion as to whether the acts are due to Eusapia in her normal
state, or whether they may charitably be considered as of a semi-unconscious
character. Whatever may be the psychological conditions, the physical fact
is that at that sitting she gave one of her hands to two persons to hold (or be
in contact with different parts of), while her other hand was free.
It remains for me to consider how far this undoubted fact influences my
previous Report (Journal S.P.B., November, 1894). In the eyes of the public,
if the public ever read it, any incipient credit which they were disposed to give
it must be destroyed ; but to any more cautious and scrupulous seeker after
truth I would say that the main facts related in that document remain in my
mind almost undisturbed. I would even go so far as to say that some of the
phenomena related to have occurred at Cambridge do not seem to me
scientifically explicable on any such simple hypothesis as that of a free hand
without mechanism. I admit, however, that considering the extreme
difficulty of all occult hypotheses, it behoves one to stretch to the uttermost
any conceivably normal explanation, and for that reason I feel it safest to
abandon, without further analysis, many phenomena of which nevertheless
I do not perceive any rational explanation. In this category it is probably
best to place everything which occurred while a second sitter held Eusapia's
other hand, i.e., anything which depends on the conviction of two separate
individuals that they each are holding a different hand of the medium :
though, indeed, remembering that on the island Eusapia frequently sat
at the broad side of the table, so that her two hands could hardly be
brought close together for the purpose of effecting the interchange without
attention being called to it, I feel that one may be jettying a great deal of
sound cargo by such an abandonment.
But when I think of the incident of the door-key, with the amount of
light coming in from the window, and the long- continued sound, so that
Dr. Ochorowicz outside in the verandah asked who was doing it, and on being
told "John," inquired several times "avecqiioi?" we all the time being intent
on the clear space between Eusapia and the door ; when I further remember
the arrival of the key on the table, its return to the door and re-arrival, I
find it absurdly impossible to suppose that she had an arm or a leg stretched
out to the door handle all that time without our being aware of it. Again,
when I think of the winding up of the chalet hanging from the ceiling, while
Eusapia was leaning over on to me at a distance from it far beyond her
normal reach ; when I remember the chair moving in the moonlight, and the
bulging curtain, bulging not as if pulled by a string but as if a substantial
solid body were inside it ; and again, the escritoire pushed back from a
distance increasing by definite stages ; I fail to see any resemblance
between the wretched fraudulent sitting at Cambridge and the occur-
rences on the island.
Then again, the trance personality of the medium, yclept John, — there
was hardly a sign of that at Cambridge — nor of his anxiety to give good and
OCT., 1895.] General Meeting. 135
thorough conditions without preliminary distraction, nor of his readiness to
repeat phenomena whenever a doubt was expressed. Over and over again,
on the island, have I had hand-grasps while I myself was securely holding
both hands of the medium. Nor was the foot-holding (when referred to by
me as beyond doubt) a simple placing of foot upon foot— which I admit
is perfectly insecure — but it was often a kind of holding that rendered it
certain that neither foot was free, even if the result were such as to be
capable of achievement by a free foot.
My belief, therefore, in the intrinsic character of the island phenomena
remains unshaken by the present exposure ; and, after fully considering the
obvious criticisms that may be made on my position, I nevertheless think
genuine the good sittings which I had first, and I think fraudulent the bad
sitting which I had last, (when I was presumably and certainly a better
trained witness). The order in which the events have occurred in my case
is awkward ; but it is legitimate to point out that the present observation of
attempted deception on the part of Eusapia is not exactly a new discovery :
the possibility of just this kind of deception had been carefully pointed out
by Professor Richet, and the appearance of fraud at bad sittings had been
also reported by Dr. Ochorowicz,* — not to speak of the more hostile witness,
Signer Torelli. I am therefore in hopes that the present decadent state of
the Neapolitan woman may be only temporary, and that hereafter some
competent and thoroughly prepared witness may yet bear testimony to the
continued existence of a genuine abnormal power existent in her organism.
The CHAIRMAN said that the meeting would perceive that while
there was no material difference of view among the investigators as to
the results of the Cambridge experiments, there was not complete agree-
ment as to the inferences to be drawn from them. But they all, he
believed, agreed with him in holding that their records of experiments
•with Eusapia Paladino should not be regarded as part of the evidence
presented by the Society, for the consideration of impartial persons, in
favour of the genuineness of phenomena of this class. Accordingly,
the records that had been printed in the Journal relating to this
medium would not be published in their Proceedings.
Dr. HODGSON then read a paper on " Recent Phenomena of Trance
observed through Mrs. Piper." He began by giving a brief description
of Mrs. Piper and her manner of passing into the trance state, making
reference to the previous reports concerning her which appeared in the
Proceedings S.P.R., Parts XVII. and XXI. The following is a short
outline only of what was said, as the detailed record of Mrs. Piper's
recent trance-phenomena will be published in Part XXX. of the
Proceedings. Her usual "control " is still the so-called Phinuit, whose
characteristics were described in detail in the reports mentioned, where
* See quotations in the March- April Journal S.P.R., pp. 40, 41, and 77 ; see also
Proceedings S.P.R., Vol. IX. pp. 228—225.
136 Journal of Society for Psychical Research- [OCT., 1895.
reasons are given for rejecting the hypothesis of imposture on the
part of Mrs. Piper. Since the publication of those reports a marked
improvement has taken place in the quality of the evidence, and some
new light has been thrown upon its significance.
This improvement appears to be due chiefly to three causes. One of
these was the sudden death, early in 1892, of a young man who may
be called George Robinson, who purported to make himself known
about four weeks later through Mrs. Piper's trance, and who has since
that time furnished much information for the purpose of establishing
his identity, and who has claimed, also, to be present very frequently
for the purpose of assisting other alleged communicators. Another
circumstance which has contributed towards the improvement manifest
in Mrs. Piper's sittings is the development of automatic writing during
her trance. Mrs. Piper's right hand is taken possession of, so to
speak, by some other " control," purporting to be a deceased friend of
the sitter, while Phinuit still " controls " the voice. Finally, early in
1893, Mrs. Piper underwent a surgical operation for the removal of a
traumatic tumour, thereby getting rid of a continual source of ill-
health which had troubled her for &ome years, and which had inter-
fered much with her sittings.
The statements made in the automatic writing, which appears to
be produced independently of Phinuit, and which frequently goes on
without a break while Phinuit continues talking, are usually more
specific and more characteristic of the deceased person from whom
they purport to come than the information given through Phinuit. But
this is not always the case. On two occasions both hands wrote
independently of each other, purporting to represent different deceased
persons, while Phinuit was using the voice.
Instances were given, under different names, of the kind of infor-
mation offered by the alleged George Robinson in proof of his
identity. The communications received included much private matter
known to only one or two persons, besides incidents concerning special
friends of George Robinson whose names were given in connection
with them, and who were not present at the sittings. Some of these
incidents were unknown to the sitters, and were afterwards verified
by persons who had not previously seen Mrs. Piper. Besides giving
this large mass of information which was known to George Robinson
when living, the " communicator " exhibited in various cases a super-
normal knowledge of private incidents which had occurred since " his "
death to specific persons, which " he " claimed to have seen during
their occurrence, and which were offered as further proof that " he "
existed independently of Mrs. Piper's organism. Owing partly to the
OCT., 1895.] General Meeting. 137
long continuance of the communications from George Robinson, the
•evidence in his case is stronger and more abundant than that in con-
nection with any other communicator. George Robinson has himself
•explained that there are various difficulties in the process of communi-
cation, and attributes his success to a combination of several favouring
conditions, such as his sudden death while in the fulness of his intel-
lectual vigour, the opportunity afforded him for communications shortly
-after his death, and the continuance of that opportunity, the fact
that his strongest attachments are to persons still living, and his
familiarity with mental operations and habit of introspection.
Instances were given of supernormal knowledge shown in the case
of other " communicators," among them a Honolulu boy, who wrote
several words of Hawaiian. Cases of premonition and telsesthesia were
also quoted, but experiments in these directions were in other cases
failures, and the evidence for these faculties was not regarded as
materially increased.
Referring briefly to the different primd facie suppositions that
might be applied in explanation, there are two that appear most
plausible. One of these would explain all the phenomena by telepathy
from the living ; the other would include also telepathy from the
dead. This last hypothesis, the "spiritistic," seems at the present
time to be the most satisfactory, and its adoption has been followed
by the best results. There are, of course, instances of "bad sittings,"
of confusions, irrelevancies, &c., and an effort has been made to
obtain some light on these points. It is claimed by the communicators
that among the difficulties which prevent clear communication are the
following : — (1) The ill-health of Mrs. Piper herself on various
occasions. There is less of whatever peculiar kind of energy (spoken
of as " light ") is available for the act of communication, and the result
is more or less dreamy in character. (2) Confusion still inherent in
the mind of the communicator, who is described as frequently remain-
ing in a comatose state for some time after death. (3) Confusion pro-
duced by the very act of communicating, which is said to have a
tendency to cause a loss of consciousness as by taking a drug. (4)
Communication is chiefly telepathic, and there is a tendency for every
thought that passes through the communicator's mind to be expressed,
and not only those which he wishes to express. It is hoped that further
experiment may throw additional light on these and similar points.
Dr. Hodgson concluded by urging upon the members the desir-
ability of writing out " messages," enclosing them in sealed envelopes
with directions, and sending them to Mr. Myers for preservation, so
that the writers may, if possible, after their death, communicate their
contents as proof of their identity.
138 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. OCT., 1895.
After the conclusion of Dr. Hodgson's paper,
Dr. WALLACE asked if the handwriting of alleged communicators
had been compared with the handwriting of the individual before
death.
Dr. HODGSON said that he had not examined this point completely ;
but that there was certainly some evidence that the early writings
resembled those of the persons represented ; only, as the communica-
tions went on, the handwritings of all the communications came
gradually to exhibit more or less the same generic type.
In answer to a question by Mr. ZANGWILL, he stated that Mrs. Piper
now received ten dollars for each seance.
Mr. ANDREW LANG asked whether Dr. Hodgson had observed any
efforts on the part of Phinuit to obtain information from the sitters.
Dr. HODGSON said that undoubtedly — as had been emphatically
stated in the previous accounts of Mrs. Piper's phenomena — Phinuit
often used to " fish " for information ; but this had not occurred so
much lately: — for some reason or other, Phinuit's conduct in this respect
had improved.
In answer to other questions, Dr. HODGSON showed that the sugges-
tion of ' ' ventriloquism " was irrelevant ; and explained that there was
no resemblance between the voices purporting to come from deceased
persons and those of the persons in question. He further said that he
had endeavoured to obtain a physiological report on Mrs. Piper's con-
dition in the trance state ; but that the medical expert who made the
examination had, after some hesitation, declined to give his report —
for fear, he believed, of its effect on his professional position. Dr.
Hodgson hoped, however, to obtain such a report before the investiga-
tion was concluded.
CASE RECEIVED BY THE LITERARY COMMITTEE.
P. 224. Dream.
The following case has some resemblance to Mrs. Storie's experi-
ence, of which an account was published in Phantasms of the Livingy
Vol. I., p. 370, except that the person whose fate was represented in the
dream was in the case here printed entirely unknown to the dreamer.
The account is written by Mr. H. W. Wack, Attorney, and comes to
us through the American Branch of the Society.
Court House, St. Paul, Minn., February Wth, 1892.
I believe I have had a remarkable experience. About midnight on the
29th day of December, headsore and fatigued, I left my study where I had
been poring over uninspiring law text, and, climbing to my chamber door,
fell into bed for the night.
Ocr , 1895.] Case Received by the Literary Committee. 139>
Nothing unusual had transpired in my affairs that day, and yet, when I
gave myself to rest, my brain buzzed on with a myriad fancies. I lay an
hour, awake, and blinking like an over-fed owl. The weird intonation of an,
old kitchen clock fell upon my ears but faintly, as it donged the hour of two.
The sound of the clock chime had hardly died when I became conscious [of J
my position in a passenger coach on the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha
railroad. I was journeying to Duluth, Minnesota, from St. Paul, in which
latter place I had gone to sleep. I was aware that I had been on the train
about four hours and that I was somewhere near the town of Shell Lake,
Wis., distant from St. Paul about eighty miles. I had often been over the
road, and as I peered through the coach window, I recognised, in the moonlit
scene, features of country and habitation I had seen before. We were-
plunging on, almost heedlessly as it seemed, when I fansied I heard and
was startled from my reverie by a piercing shriek, which was protracted
into a piteous moaning and gasping, as if some human creature were suffering
some hideous torture.
Then I felt the train grind heavily to an awkward stop. There was a
sudden commotion fore and aft. Train men with lanterns hurried through
my car and joined employes near the engine. I could see the lights flash
here and there, beside and beneath the cars ; brakemen moved along the
wheels in groups, the pipe voice of the conductor and the awe-stricken cry
of the black porter infused a livening sense to a scene which I did not
readily understand. Instinctively I concluded that an accident had happened,
or perhaps that a break to the train had occasioned this sudden uprising of
train men. A minute later I was out upon the road bed. The brusque and
busy search and the disturbed manner of the attendants did not propitiate
elaborate inquiry from a curious passenger, so I was appeased to be told, in-
very ugly snappish English, that if I had eyes I might see for myself that
" some one got killed, I reckon," Everybody moved and acted in a spirit of
stealth, and each, it appeared, expected a horrible " find." The trucks were
being examined from the rear of the train forward. Blood splotches were
discovered on nearly all the bearings under the entire train. When the gang
reached one of the forward cars, all lights were cast upon a truck which was.
literally scrambled with what appeared to be brains — human brains,
evidently, for among the clots were small tufts of human hair. This truck,
particularly, must have ground over the bulk of a human body. Every^
fixture between the wheels was smeared with the crimson ooze of some-
crushed victim. But where was the body, or at least its members ? The
trucks were covered only with a pulp of mangled remnants. The search for-
what appeared of the killed was extended 500 yards back of the train and all
about the right-of-way with no more satisfactory result than to occasionally
find a blood-stained tie.
All hands boarded the train ; many declaring that it was an unusual
mishap on a railroad which left such uncertain trace of its victim. Again.
I felt the train thundering on through the burnt pine wastes of northern
Minnesota. As I reclined there in my berth, I reflected upon the experience
of the night, and often befuddled my sleepy head in an effort to understand
how a train, pushing along at the rate of thirty miles an hour, could so-
140 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. I.OCT., 1895.
grind and triturate a vital bulk, staining only trucks behind the engine,
unless the killed at the fatal time were upon the truck or huddled closely by
it. I concluded, therefore, that the being destroyed under the train had
been concealed near the bespattered fixtures of the car. I had read of
•death to tramps stealing rides by hiding themselves under or between cars,
«nd finally I dismissed meditation — assured that another unfortunate
itinerant had been crushed out of existence. Horrible ! I shuddered and
;awoke — relieved to comprehend it all a dream.
Now the fact that the foregoing is an accurate statement of a dream
^experienced by me is not a matter for marvel. Taken alone, there is nothing
remarkable in the time at which this vision blackened my sleep. The spell
•was upon me between two and three o'clock in the morning — of that I am
•certain. I am positive of the time, because, when I awoke, I heard the
•clock distinctly, as it struck three.
On the morrow, I, — who usually forget an ordinary dream long before
breakfast— recounted to the family the details of the night's distraction.
From my hearers there followed only the ordinary comments of how ghastly
-and how shocking the story was as told and how strange the nature of the
accident — that no parts of the body had been found. The latter circumstance
•was, to me also, quite an unusual feature of railroad casualty.
The evening following the night of the dream (December 30th), at 5
•o'clock, I returned to my home, stepped into my study, and, as I am in the
habit of doing, I glanced at a page of the St. Paul Dispatch, a daily evening
newspaper. It had been casually folded by a previous reader, so that in
picking it op flatly, the article which first fixed my attention read :
"Fate of a tramp. Horrible death experienced by an unknown man on
the Omaha Road. His remains scattered for miles along the track by the
merciless wheels.
" Duluth, December 30. — Every truck on the incoming Omaha train from
St. Paul this morning was splashed with blood. Trainmen did not know
there had been an accident till they arrived here, but think some unfortunate
man must have been stealing a ride between St. Paul and this city. Train-
mien on a later train state that a man's leg was found by them at Spooner,
-and that for two miles this side the tracks were scattered with pieces of flesh
•»nd bone. There is no possible means of identification."
Here was an evident verification of all that transpired in my mind between
two and three o'clock on the previous night. I reflected, and the more I
pondered the faster I became convinced that I had been in some mysterious
form, spirit or element, witness of the tragedy reported in the columns of
the press — that my vision was perfect as to general details, and the
impression complete and exact to time, place, and circumstance. The next
imorning I scanned the pages of the Pioneer Press of December 31st, and
read the following paragraph : —
" Unknown man killed, Shell Lake, Wis. Special telegram,
December 30th. — Fragments of the body of an unknown man were picked
up on the railroad track to-day. Portions of the same body were also found
on over 100 miles of the railroad. He is supposed to have been killed by
the night train, but just where is not known."
OCT., 1895.] Case Received by the Literary Committee. 141
With this came the conviction to me that, living and asleep, 100 miles,
from the place of the killing, I had been subjected to the phantom-sight of
an actual occurrence on the Omaha railroad, as vivid and in truth as I have
stated it above.
I have not written this account because Mark Twain and other authors
have published in current magazines their experiences in what is termed
Mental Telepathy or Mental Telegraphy. On the contrary, having read
a number of those articles, I have hesitated to utter, as authentic, what I
now believe to be a material and striking evidence of the extent, the caprice,,
and the possibilities of this occult phenomenon. HARRY W WACK
In reply to Dr. Hodgson's enquiries, Mr. Wack wrote : —
St. Paul, February 20th, 1892.
MY DEAR SIR, — Replying to your valued favour of the 15th inst., I will
say that you are right in understanding that my account of the dream sub-
mitted to your Society is a true narrative.
I reaffirm every word of it, and give you my solemn assurance that, as I
have stated, I informed the family and friends of the dream and its details,,
before I had the first suspicion that the public press ever had contained or
ever would contain a report of such an actual occurrence.
If desirable 1 will make affidavit as to the truth of the substance of the-
narrative in your hands.
I enclose a few corroborative letters, the signatures to which I procured
yesterday, February 19th. If these serve you, well and good.
HARRY W. WACK.
The following were the corroborative letters enclosed : —
(1) St. Paul, February 20th, 1892.
GENTLEMEN, — lief erring to an account of a dream submitted to you by
Mr. Harry Wack of this city which I have read, I beg leave to add the follow-
ing facts corroborative of the narrative.
After careful consideration of the article, I find that the story of the
dream on December 29th-30th is in substance identical with that which
was related by Mr. Wack at breakfast on the morning of December 30th,
1891. On that occasion Mr. Wack stated that he had been agitated the pre-
vious night by a dream of unusual features, and then, at the request of those-
present, he recited what now appears in his article, which I have just perused
for the first time. On the evening of December 30th, 1891, when Mr. Wack
discovered the newspaper item, he again mentioned the dream and called my
attention to the newspaper item, and several of the family discussed the
matter. On the morning of December 31st, another newspaper clipping
bearing on the same matter was debated by the family.
Aside from the unusual features and hideousness of the dream, there was
nothing to startle us, until the newspaper accounts developed the affair in a
mysterious sense. The first version of the dream was given in the morning
of December 30th. The first newspaper dispatch appeared and was dis-
covered in the evening of the same day. This I know of my own know-
ledge, being present on each occasion.
MRS. MARGARET B. MACDONALD.
142 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., 1895.
(2) St. Paul, Minn., February 2Qth, 1892.
GENTLEMEN, — I have read the letter of Mrs. Macdonald, with whom I
•visited on December 29th, 30th, 31st, and days following, and with your per-
mission I will say that I also was present at breakfast when Mr. Wack
mentioned the dream, and at dinner (6 p.m.) when Mr. Wack called our
attention to the newspaper item, which he then declared was a positive
verification of the dream he experienced the night before. I have read the
account of the dream, and I believe it to be precisely as I understood it from
Mr. Wack's account given on the morning of December 30th, 1891.
ROSE B. HAMILTON.
(3) St. Paul, February 20th, 1892.
GENTLEMEN, — Having read the foregoing letters of Mrs. Macdonald ard
Miss Rose B. Hamilton, and being familiar with the facts and incidents
therein set forth, I would add my endorsement to them as being in strict
accord with the truth.
Mr. Wack stated his dream as he has written of it in the article which I
understand he has submitted to you, on the morning of December 30th, 1891.
He came upon and drew our attention to the newspaper articles in the
evening of December 30th, and on the morning of December 31st, 1891. It
was these newspaper dispatches which made the dream interesting, and there-
after it was freely discussed. C. E. McDoNALD.
Mr. H. W. Smith, an Associate Member of the American Branch,
•writes to Dr. Hodgson in connection with the case : —
Office of Smith and Austrian, Commission Merchants,
290, E., 6th Street, Produce Exchange,
St. Paul, Minn., April 14th, 1892.
MY DEAR SIR, — It has been impossible for me to accept Mr. Wack's
invitation to meet at his house the witnesses he cited in his communication
to you. I have already written you of my preliminary interview with Mr.
Wack, and it confirms in my own mind the high opinion which I previously
held of him through our acquaintanceship, extending over a series of years.
There is no reasonable doubt in my mind that the statement he makes is
substantially correct, at least as respects any and all allegations of fact.
Of course the application of these facts to an unknown force is a matter upon
•which I cannot speak. HERBERT W. SMITH.
CORRESPONDENCE.
[The Editor is not responsible for opinions expressed by Correspondents.']
The following letter was addressed to Mr. Myers, in reference to
his paper on Resolute Credulity, published in the Proceedings S.P.R.,
Part XXVIII, p. 213.
Essendon, Hatfield, Herts., August, 1895.
I have just been reading with great interest your paper on " Resolute
Credulity," and it occurs to me that you might be not uninterested in hearing
of an experience of mine many years ago with one of the mediums mentioned
by you as fraudulent — Williams — which has led me to think that the
OCT., 1895.] Correspondence. 143
phenomena presented at his seances were due, at least in part and at times, to
something beyond mere trickery.
The time was about 22 or 23 years ago — I think in 1872 — but my recol-
lection of all essential parts of the occurrence is perfectly clear. I was in
London for some business, dined alone at a restaurant, and, while dining,
resolved to go in the evening to a seance at Williams' house in Lambs-conduit-
street, and there, if I got a chance, try a certain experiment. When I got
there the room was gradually filling, till there were present some 16 or 17
persons of both sexes including the medium. Williams was the only person
in the room whom I had seen before. Several of them were obviously
acquaintances of his, and any one or more might have been confederates for
all I could tell. We took our seats at a long table, I near the medium,
lights were put out and then followed the usual " business" of such stances
— musical instruments — or a musical instrument— carried about and playing in
the air, faint "spirit lights " seen, raps on the head from a paper tube, and
touches and grasps by serni-materialized spirit hands. I need not say that
to me there was nothing convincing or even impressive in all this. For
aught I knew Williams might have been released by confederates sitting next
him and be careering round the room at his pleasure. My feeling was one
of disgust at the silly ways of many of the sitters — especially of certain young
ladies who were half laughing, half shrieking, when hands touched them,
exclaiming " Oh ! I wish a hand would touch me," " Oh ! I am so
frightened," "Oh! I don't want to be touched," &c., &c. Altogether
the clamour was considerable — lights, music, touchings, all going on
tit once, so that the medium, if free and doing it all himself, must
have been darting about the room like an india-rubber ball, and, even
if he had the aid of a couple of confederates, could not have a very quiet time
of it. During a momentary pause in the racket, I said, " I wish a hand would
touch me in the way I am now thinking of. " Almost immediately, — say in
20 seconds after I spoke — I felt something like finger-tips passing very lightly
irom right to left across my forehead, and then my left whisker firmly grasped,
as if by finger and thumb, and distinctly pulled three times, and less strongly
a fourth time. The three pulls were hard enough to give pain to a person
with a sensitive skin, which happily I am not. I said " Thank you, that will
do," and nothing more. Now I had mentally formulated the wish that "a
hand should pull my left whisker four times. " The fact that I was touched
goes for nothing ; but does not the exact correspondence between the touch
and my mental request indicate that something was at work beyond mere
jugglery ? The simplest explanation which must occur to those who do not
inow me is that I imagined the touch, influenced by expectation of that which
I had desired. I know that I had no such expectation, rather the reverse,
t>eing annoyed and disgusted at the silly way in which the people present
•were going on. I know, also, that I am not a nervous, excitable, impressible
person, that the steadiness of my nerves has been tried by excitement and
anxiety and danger, and in the nearly 72 years of my life has never failed
me. I am absolutely certain that the touch was real and external and not
subjective. It might be suggested that I had mentioned my intended experi-
ment to some person of those present, which amounts, under the circum-
144 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., I895i
stances, to saying that I acted like an idiot. It seems to me absolutely
certain that my thought was read by some intelligence in the flesh or out of
it, however the actual touch was effected. If Williams touched me, having;
previously read my thought, it certainly was a most singular case of thought-
reading, for instead of the quiescence and attentive waiting usual with
thought-readers, he must have been in a state of great activity of mind and
body. In any case some kind of supernormal power was in action. If OIL
the part of Williams, it seems to me to suggest a probability that his whole;
proceedings at that time were genuine. WM. S. GRIGNON.
MESMERIC PASSES.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL OF THE INCORPORATED S.P.R.
Fieldhead, Wimbledon Park, Surrey, July 23rd.
SIR, — Dr. Green in your last number asks the question, Have the
mesmeric passes any utility perse? and he himself answers the question
mainly in the affirmative.
For myself, I have been a practical mesmerist from the year 1839-40, and
I have found that successful mesmerists, without exception, believe that an
aura or influence passes from their positive hands to the negative or receptive?
body of the subject.* They believe this for the following reasons : —
1. Because they are conscious of the sensation as of tingling at the tips-
of their fingers as they earnestly make the passes. 2. Because the patient
almost always admits that he or she experiences sensations as if receiving
an emanation from the operator, and describes it as exciting, irritating, or
soothing. 3. Because I have found sometimes that if I made the passes-
with much mental determination the patient has said, " I feel your influence-
strongly," or " I feel it exciting ; " but when I have made the passes auto-
matically and without much will the patient has said, " I don't feel any-
thing." 4. Because most mesmerists when successful feel themselves more
or less depleted, and desire to wash their hands, go out into the air, or
take a glass of wine. 5. Because clairvoyants generally see an aura as
emanating from mesmeric hands, and describe its colour as red, violet, or
white, and I may add that my own colour is invariably described as violet.
6. Patients are often more benefited by contact of the hand than by
passes, and vice versa, indicating occult properties in the mesmeric hand.
7. This aura has sometimes been, although invisible to the ordinary eye,,
revealed by the photographic plate.
In conclusion I might define hypnotic cures as the result of the will of the-
operator as dominating the higher or semi-entranced soul of the patient, and
mesmeric cures as the result of the same ordeal, but plus the influence of
the vital force the patient receives during the mesmeric passes.
In hynotic cases the patient is put into a peculiar condition, but in many
mesmeric cases, as in the cure of neuralgia, the patient appears to be cured
by the influence of the passes only. — Your obedient servant,
GEORGE WYLP, M.D.EDIN.
* This view is not held by any English hypnotists of my acquaintance, and I
believe that it has been abandoned by almost all the most eminent medical men who-
practise hypnotism abroad. — ED.
No. CXXIII.— VOL. VII. NOVEMBER, 1895.
JOURNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGE
New Members and Associates • 145
First General Meeting of the Incorporated Society . 146
Meeting of the Council 146
Eusapia Pala clino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
The Third International Congress of Psychology 159
Case Received by the Literary Committee .. .. 102
Correspondence: Concerning Eusapia Paladino .. 163
NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.
Names of Members are printed in Black Type-
Names of Associates are printed in SMALL CAPITALS.
BOLTON, Miss A. J., B.A. (N.Z.), Hillside, Bourton-road, Buckingham.
BULLEY, MRS. ARTHUR, West Kirby, near Birkenhead.
Dodge, Miss Mary M. H., 39, Brompton-square, London, S.W.
HYSLOP, DR., Bethlem Hospital, London, S.E.
Robbins, Rev. John, D.D., St. George's Vicarage, Campden-hill,W.
Sullivan, W. R. Washington, Purleybury, Parley, Surrey.
WAY, WILLIAM R., Hillside, Upminster, Essex.
WILLIAMS, J. LEON, D.D.S., L.D.S., 30, George-street, Hanover-sq.,W.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
ELDRIDGE, E. H., The Temple College, Broad &Berks-sts., Philadelphia
MURLIN, REV. L. H., President Baker University, Baldwin, Kansas.
ROEDER, REV. A., Vineland, N.J.
WARD, DR. J. N., Auburn, California.
WATKINS, J. ELFRETH, 1626, S.-street, Washington, D.C.
FIRST GENERAL MEETING OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY
The First General Meeting of the Members of the Incorporated
Society for Psychical Research was held at the Westminster Town
Hall, on November 1st, Professor W. F. Barrett in the chair.
The notice convening the meeting was read.
146 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1895.
It was reported that the following nominations for election as
Members of Council had been received ; Prof. W. F. Barrett, Mr. G. P.
Bidder, Q.C., Mr. W. Crookes, F.R.S., Lt.-Col. J. Hartley, Dr. W.
Leaf, Prof. O. J. Lodge, F.R.S., Prof. A. Macalister, M.D., F.R.S.,
Mr. F. W. H. Myers, Mr. F. Podmore, Lord Rayleigh, F.R.S., C.
Lockhart Robertson, M.D., Prof. H. Sidgwick, Mr. H. Arthur Smith,
Mr. H. Babington Smith, Mr. R. Pearsall Smith, Sir A. K. Stephenson,
K.C.B., Q.C., Prof. J. J. Thomson, F.R.S., and J. Venn, D.Sc., F.R.S.
The number of Members nominated being the same as the number
of Members of Council to be elected, it was proposed and seconded
that the above eighteen Members be elected on the Council of the
Society for the remainder of the present and for the following year.
On the chairman putting the resolution to the meeting, it was carried
unanimously.
The chairman, after stating that there was no further business for
this first meeting, invited any remarks from those present, and
announced that the next Annual General Meeting would be held in
January 1897.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
The Council met at the close of the First General Meeting above
reported. Professor W. F. Barrett occupied the chair. There were
also present : — Colonel Hartley, Sir Augustus K. Stephenson, Dr. W.
Leaf, and Messrs T. Barkworth, W. Crookes, F. W. H. Myers, F.
Podmore, Sydney C. Scott, H. Arthur Smith, and R. Pearsall Smith.
Report was made that the General Meeting had been held and
Members of Council elected as stated above.
The minutes of the meeting held on October 4th were read and
signed as correct.
Mr. William Crookes, F.R.S., was elected President of the Society
for the ensuing year.
The Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, M.P., F.R.S., Professor W. F.
Barrett, F.R.S.E., The Marquis of Bute, K.T., Mr. Richard H.
Hutton, Professor William James (Harvard, U.S.A.), Professor S. P.
Langley (Smithsonian Institution, Washington, U.S.A.), Lord Rayleigh,
F.R.S., the Right Rev. the Bishop of Ripon, and Professor Henry
Sidgwick, were elected as Vice-Presidents of the Society.
Mr. H. Arthur Smith was elected as Hon. Treasurer, and Mr.
F. W. H. Myers and Mr. F. Podmore as Hon. Secretaries for the ensuing
year. Mr. Edward T. Bennett was appointed Assistant Secretary on
the same terms as before.
Nov., 1895.] Council Meeting. 147
Committees were elected as follows, with power to add to their
number : —
Committee of Reference. — Professor W. F. Barrett, Mr. W. Crookes,
Dr. R. Hodgson, Dr. W. Leaf, Professor O. J. Lodge, Mr. F. W. H.
Myers, Lord Rayleigh, Dr. C. Lockhart Robertson, Professor H.
Sidgwick, Professor J. J. Thomson, Dr. J. Venn, and Mrs. Verrall.
Library Committee. — Dr. J. Milne Bramwell, Col. Hartley, Mr.
F. W. H. Myers, and Dr. C. Lloyd Tuckey.
Hypnotic Committee. — Dr. A. W. Barrett, Dr. J. Milne Bramwell,
Mr. St. George Lane Fox, Dr. W. Leaf, Mr. F. Podmore, Mr. G. Albert
Smith, Dr. C. Lloyd Tuckey, and Mr. E. Westlake.
House and Finance Committee. — Mr. Sydney C. Scott, Mr. H
Arthur Smith, and Lieut.-Col. G. L. Le M. Taylor.
A ballot was taken to determine the order of retiring of the
eighteen elected Members of Council, with the following result : —
To retire at the end of 1896 :— Professor W. F. Barrett, Mr. G. P.
Bidder, Q.C., Mr. W. Crookes, F.R.S., Dr. W. Leaf, Professor A.
Macalister, M.D., F.R.S., and Mr. H. Arthur Smith.
To retire at the end of 1897 :— Mr. F. W. H. Myers, Lord Rayleigh,
F.R.S., C. Lockhart Robertson, M.D., Mr. H. Babington Smith, Mr.
R. Pearsall Smith, and J. Venn, D.Sc., F.R.S.
To retire at the end of 1898 :— Lt.-Col. J. Hartley, Professor 0. J.
Lodge, F.R.S., Mr. F. Podmore, Professor H. Sidgwick, Sir A. K.
Stephenson, K.C.B., Q.C., and Professor J. J. Thomson, F.R.S.
The following were proposed for co-optation as members of Council
for the ensuing year: — The Right Hon. G. W. Balfour, M.P., Mr.
Thos. Barkworth, Dr. A. W. Barrett, Dr. J. Milne Bramwell, the Earl
of Crawford and Balcarres, K.T., F.R.S., Mr. Registrar Hood, Dr.
G. F. Rogers, Mr. Sydney C. Scott, and Dr. A. Wallace.
One new Member and fourteen new Associates, whose election had
been approved on October 4th, and whose names appeared in the
October Journal, were now elected. Three new Members and five new
Associates, whose names and addresses are given above, were also
elected. The election of five new Associates of the American Branch
was also recorded.
The Council records with regret the decease of Mr. George R.
Farncombe, an Associate of the Society, and expresses its grateful
appreciation of the interest he took in its work in leaving a legacy
of £100 free of duty " to further the progress of the science which it
investigates."
148 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1895.
The Council desires to record the great indebtedness of the Society
to Messrs. H. Arthur Smith and Sydney C. Scott for the large amount
of time and labour which they have devoted to carrying through the
Incorporation of the Society, and which has enabled it to be completed
at much less cost than would otherwise have been the case.
Various other matters having been discussed, the Council agreed
that its next meeting should be at 3 o'clock, on Friday, December 6thr
at the Westminster Town Hall, previous to the General Meeting
arranged for 4 p.m. on that day.
EUSAPIA PALADINO.
A full record of the experiments at Cambridge with Eusapia
Paladino would be intolerably tedious and unreadable. What is
proposed here is to give a sufficient account to justify the conclusion
at which, at the close of the stances, the investigators unanimously
arrived, viz., that systematic fraud had been used from first to
last, and that there was no adequate reason to suppose any super-
normal agency whatever.
I may begin by reminding the readers of the Journal that, when
Professor Lodge's report, printed in the November Journal of last
year, became known to Dr. Hodgson, he at once challenged the
validity of Professor Lodge's conclusions, and in a paper printed in
the March-April Journal, argued that the alleged supernormal
phenomena might all be explained by trickery. He suggested
trickery of various kinds, but especially drew attention to the
defective holding of the hands, for which, as previous observers had
remarked, Eusapia manifested a decided preference. He quoted
passages from an article by Professor Richet, in the Annales des
Sciences Psychiques (Jan.-Feb., 1893), in which this defective holding
was accurately and fully described, and the opportunity it gave for
fraud was pointed out.
As our ultimate conclusion was that the trick there described
constituted Eusapia's main, though not her sole, method of fraud,
I will give a translation of the passage in question, for the con-
venience of the reader who may be interested in comparing it with
our own results.
[From the Annales des Sciences Psychiques, Jan.-Feb., 1893, p. 14.]
In the experiments, Eusapia does not generally have both her right and
left hands held in the same way. On one side her wrist and hand are held
Nov., 1895.] Eusapia Paladino. 149
firmly ; on the other side, instead of having her hand held by the sitter,
she merely places her hand on his, but pressing with all the fingers, so that
he can feel very distinctly whether he has the right or the left hand. Then
at the moment when the phenomenon is going to begin, this hand which is
not held, but is resting on the sitter's hand, (let us say, for simplicity,
Eusapia's right hand, though it may be either the right or the left) becomes
very mobile ; it moves about constantly, and during a minute fraction of a
second the sitter does not feel it ; then he feels it again, and can verify that
it is still the right hand.
Thus it is possible that during this fraction of a second, the right hand
of Eusapia may become free, and move to the right or left, touching the
head, face, or neck of one of the sitters. Further, her left hand, held by
the wrist, may place itself on the back of the hand of her right-hand
neighbour, who still believes that he ha- her right hand, when it is really
Eusapia's left hand that is touching him ; and thus her right hand is
absolutely free.
So far for the hands. As regards the feet, Professor Richet in
another place refers to an experiment in which the feet of Eusapia
were controlled by being each placed sometimes above, sometimes
below the foot of an investigator on either side, and expresses the view
that this holding of the feet of Eusapia by the feet of the sitters
is "an illusory control." At Cambridge we took the same view as
Professor Richet with regard to the holding of the feet, and always
endeavoured to have them secured by the hands of one of the investi-
gators placed under the table. This was usually allowed by Eusapia
for part of each sitting, but generally only for part, so that a good
deal of the imperfect holding of feet by feet was allowed by us to go
on in order not to irritate the medium. We did not, however,
regard the results obtained with such holding — so far as they could
be performed by a foot getting free — as being of any evidential value.
We did not, therefore, at first pay much attention to the feet other-
wise than to note when they were held securely by hands and when
they were not so held. As regards the hands, the need of closer
observation was strongly felt from the first. During the earlier sittings
we concentrated our main efforts on getting a perfectly secure holding
of both hands at the time when phenomena occurred clearly requiring
the use of a hand, if produced by natural means. But though we
repeatedly urged Eusapia to allow this complete security of holding,
we did not think it right to constrain her : accordingly, the defective
holding described by Professor Richet was repeatedly noted by
different observers. I will give one description of such holding by
Mrs. H. M. Stanley, written the morning after the second of the series
of stances.
150 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1895.
Notes on Seance of August 3rd, 1895.
[Written on the morning of August 4th.]
I felt Eusapia's right hand in my left, she then turned my hand over,
(palm down ) and placed hers upon it on the table, rather close to her, and
somewhat away from me, towards her left. The first time I thought that
Eusapia drew my hand and hers to Mrs. Verrall's, who was holding Eusapia's
left hand. Eusapia patted my hand, but never removed her hand actually
trom off my hand. After a while I felt what I thought was only three, or, at one
time, only two fingers lying close and tightly upon the back of my hand. I
felt that Eusapia had not taken away her hand, but that she had withdrawn
two fingers, leaving me the feeling of a narrowed hand. After every
narrowing or diminishing of Eusapia's hand on mine, something happened
to me ; I was always touched. I came at last so much to expect this that
I called out to my sister, "Now, something is going to happen, I feel her
hand narrowing; there is less of her hand on mine." At that moment I would
feel my elbow pinched, or a spread hand on my back, or a hand on my right
shoulder. All this while my left hand was clutched by the same hot nervous
fingers ; I had all the sensations of a living hand on mine, but not a complete
hand. When the phenomenon was over — I mean, as soon as the push, or
pinch, or slap, had been given, — then, for the first time, the fingers (or
diminished hand ) let go of my hand, and in an instant, Eusapia's complete
hand closed over the back of my left hand ; it was then colder than the hand
or fingers which had been upon mine during the phenomenon.
DOROTHY STANLEY.
The reader will not be surprised to learn that, after this description,
Mrs. Sidgwick recorded her opinion that " if things rest as they stand
now, the presumption in favour of trickery seems to me to be very great. >f
Still, other phenomena occurred which did not appear to be explic-
able by the simple supposition that the hand had got free through
defective holding. Accordingly, for the greater part of the sittings,
we continued to direct our attention to the obtaining of genuine
phenomena under unimpeachable conditions rather than to the
discovery of fraud.
But when Dr. Hodgson arrived, the time seemed to have come for
a change of plan. Instead of indicating any desire to hold as securely
as possible, Dr. Hodgson left Eusapia entirely free to hold his hand
as she liked, and concentrated his attention on observing more exactly
the process described by Mrs. Stanley, which had by that time become
quite familiar to the sitters. The result of this observation was to
convince Dr. Hodgson first and then the rest of the investigators
that the substitution of hands described by Professor Richet as possible
actually occurred in this process, and could be observed if attention
was carefully directed to it.
Nov., 1895.] Eusapia Paladino. 151
I give now extracts from the report of one of the later seances, at
which Dr. Hodgson was present.
Extracts from Report of Seance of September 1st, 1895.
• [The Report consists of notes taken by Mr. Myers at the time from the
dictation of the sitters, with supplementary statements added by some of the
sitters afterwards ; these are placed in square brackets, and all except those
to which Mrs. Sidgwick's initials are appended were written by Dr. Hodgson
on September 2nd and 3rd. The italics refer to the descriptions of pheno-
mena, the ordinary type to the conditions of holding, &c.]
Present : Eusapia Paladino, Professor and Mrs. Sidgwick, Miss Alice
Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Myers, Messrs. F. Darwin and R. Hodgson.
First positions of sitters round the
table. Stance begins at 6.30 p.m. Candle
* in back drawing-room.*
jj « *F D 6.35. — R. H.'s chair touched. Hand*
visible on table. Left foot on both
Darwin's, leg felt up to knee.
6.36.— Table behind R. H. knocked
over. R. H. " perfett," right foot, knee,
and right leg against R. H. 's.
Mrs. M. [Concerning the previous incidents, I
called out perfettamente without giving
detailed description of the right foot's
doings. E. 's right foot was at first pressed
very strongly on my left — slippered — foot, working about as if to assure me
of its presence. The working gradually ceased and the pressure lightened,
so that eventually there was a very slight pressure, which seemed changeable,
and I felt pretty confident that the right foot had left my foot entirely, the
slight pressure remaining being probably produced by the heel of E. 's left
foot touching mine, which E. had made me put well under the table.
Similar circumstances accompanied the next touch phenomena which occurred
before Mrs. Myers went under the table and held the feet with her hands,
except that in more than one occasion, E.'s right foot was taken away from
my left foot for a moment or two, and no other pressure was substituted for it. ]
6.38. — H. S. stands with hands on E.'s shoulders.
6.39. — H. S. touched above right ankle. R. H. feels feet pressing in
shifting ways. F. D. left foot pressing on two of his, and leg against his.
Hands visible on table.
6.43. — H. S. touched on right leg between knee and ankle. R. H. chiefly
right foot and slight gap. Hands visible. F. D. feels left foot pressing on
both his.
[As already mentioned, the preceding phenomena were doubtless produced
by the right foot of E. The shifting pressures on my left foot suggested
that she had removed her right foot completely, and I also perceived a
* This room opens by two archways into the seance room, so that a certain
amount of light came through.
152 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [.Nov., 1895.
movement of her body on the first two occasions which comported with the use
of her right foot ;is indicated. A small amount of daylight entered between
the curtains which were behind E., and enabled me to distinguish part of
E.'s outline, and I saw a movement of her thigh upwards and sideways in the
direction required for touching my chair or the table behind me.]
Mrs. Myers goes under table, has feet on palms of hands far apart. Table
rears. Candle in back drawing-room put out.
6.55. — E.'s head is against H. S. and his hands on her shoulders. Feet
well secured [by Mrs Myers under the table holding each foot with a separate
hand. ]
H. S. has touch of fingers on left hand. F. D. left hand, feels thumb,
grasps F. D. Right hand grasps R. H ; grasps hand and fingers, felt hand
brought across and fingers substituted — process clear.
[The process referred to was very clear in all its steps, and occupied several
minutes of deft manoeuvering. At the beginning of the process my left hand
was near the edge of the table on my side, palm upward, and E. was
grasping it firmly with her right hand ; I could feel the right thumb and some
of the fingers which were more or less mingled with mine. Slowly and
gradually, by slight jerks, she drew my hand about half way across the table,
as it seemed, changing her grasp a good deal in the meantime. She then
shifted my hand a little from side to side and finally turned it over so that
it was palm downward, resting on the table. She then worked her hand and
fingers much in a shifting manner on the back of my hand, pinching my
fingers slightly and drawing my hand gradually still further across the table.
Some discussion took place then between E. and F. D. as to the manner in
which the latter was holding E.'s left hand, and E. lifted inyhand somewhat
back in my direction, and somewhat to my right, to prevent, as I supposed,
the possibility of F. D.'s hand coming into contact with mine. Her right
hand then left mine and was apparently engaged in helping her to explain to
F. D. the remarks she was making about his holding. After a brief interval
the right hand returned to my left, and worked with it as before, taking it
further across the table. Her fingers got closer together gradually and
nearer the ends of my own fingers, and I felt the pressures changing and
other pressures being substituted, and knew that E.'s right hand was
free. After the production of the phenomenon I felt the hand return to mine,
first the fingers, then the grasp round my hand. This process was repeated
frequently in connection with the following phenomena, but became more
and more abridged, as E. became more confident —I suppose — that its nature
was not suspected. In most of the cases the substituted pressures appeared
to be produced by the fingers of her other hand ; that is to say, they suggested
fingers, and my hand was evidently in close vicinity to her other hand ;
but on two or three occasions, to be mentioned later, the substituted pressure
appeared to be produced by something other than fingers.]
Darkness made complete. Candle taken in to see positions,* [Sitters
arranged as follows.]
* It was at once taken out again.
Nov., 1895.]
Eusapia Paladino.
153
7. 6. — Three knocks [which sounded as if
E. P. made on top of the table.] Right hand lies
across R. H. and holds H. S. 's three fingers
R. H. F. D. with at least two. Left hand holds F. D.
and Mrs. S. Three movements made with
left hand beforehand. Knees not moved
and feet held tight. [Medium was asked to
repeat this phenomenon.]
H. S. Mrs, S. 7.7. — Three knocks rather loiul and dull
[resembling the preceding]. Right hand
Miss J. moving, holding H.S.'s and R.H.'s. Left
hand well off table ; holding satisfactory,
held by F.D. and Mrs. S. Feet well held, knees not moved.
[Both series of three knocks were doubtless produced by Eusapia 's head.
On the second occasion, I succeeded in getting her head partly between me
and a slight light from the curtains behind, and observed the motion of her
head part of the way forward and back. She moved her right hand, with
H.S.'s hand and mine, forward, outward, and upward somewhat, and
possibly made a similar movement with her left hand, thus giving herself a
free space to bend her head forward and down, and at the same time having
the hands which were holding hers, in a position from which it would be
more difficult to grab.] [And had practically six hands out of the way of an
accidental contact with her head. E.M.S.]
U.S. touched on le.Ji hand apparently by fingers. F.D. feels three or four
fingers of left [hand] under his, and thumb. R.H., fingers of right hand
clutching him slightly, with slight interval. Feet well held.
[In this case, the contact was entirely broken several times, I think,
the "interval" meaning the interval of time during which there was no
contact, and it was doubtless during one of these intervals, rapidly recurring,
that Professor S. was touched by Eusapia's shifting right hand.]
7.17. — F. D. and H. S. change places and Mrs. S. and A. J. [and the
table is arranged as follows : — ]
7.25. — R. H. says, phenomenon preparing.
Enormous hand shaking Mrs. M. 's head, hand
clearly felt. H. S. hand well held, but not
completely. R. H. has hand completely held,
gap and then grasp again. Hand holds H. S.
well. Right hand, thumb and finger clutch
R. H.
[On nearly all occasions after the first few
Miss J. hand-touch phenomena, I informed the sitters
of a coming phenomenon in some such words
Mrs. S. as that a phenomenon was preparing, before
the phenomenon actually occurred, and
usually immediately prior to its occurrence. I made this announcement as a
rule when I felt the right hand leaving mine, but sometimes when I felt it
E. P.
R. H.
F.D.
H. S.
154 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1895.
preparing to leave. After the phenomenon was over and the hand returned,
I described usually what I felt at the moment of my description, so that E.
might not become aware — through some partial appreciation of my English —
that I knew that her hand was away from mine during the production of the
phenomenon. In some cases where it seemed desirable, I added a few
words about the state of holding during the phenomenon.]
H. S. has two hands.
[Prof. S. had the left hand of E. in his right hand and the right hand of
E. in his left together with two fingers of my right hand.]
It. H. feels touch on left shoulder.
Light brought in. [suggestion of H. S.] H. S. says he will now swear to
the two hands [the grip remaining unchanged].
R.H., touch on left shoulder. Hands well held by H. S. [as just above
mentioned]. Feet completely held, head not accounted for.
[The touch on my shoulder was doubtless made by Eusapia's head
on both the above occasions. When the candle was brought in for examina-
tion of the hands, I noticed that Eusapia's head was leaning far over on the
side remote from me, as though to prevent the thought that the head might
have had anything to do with the phenomenon.]
8.0. — Mrs. M. comes out from under table ; F. D. goes under.
8.17. — Luminous cap put on ; head well seen.
[A piece of calico had been painted on one side with luminous paint.
This was placed on the top of Eusapia's head, luminous side up, and
fastened by being pinned behind to the back of her hair.]
8.20. — Left hand squeezing H. S. now in air. Pressure on R. H.'s left
hand.
8.23. — E. H. touched on left side under shoulder. Pressure onR. H.'s left
hand as before. No gap, pressure continuous. [There was no interval
when I felt nothing at all in contact.]
[This pressure was distinctly different from that of hand or fingers, and
distinctly unlike the contact of flesh. A similar impression might probably
be produced by various objects, and it might well have been produced by
the elbow, or other adjoining part of Eusapia's left arm.]
Mrs. M. sees little black knob appear on the piece of white linen on head.
[This was part of the same phenomenon as the above touching, i.e.,
it occurred during the same brief interval during which the absence of the
right hand was noted by me. ]
Touch on R. H. 's back, as though by hand, below shoulder-blade. All else
same as before. Feet were changing. [This means that Mr. Darwin and I
were changing places. E. M. S.] Mrs. M. sees hand on top of medium's
head, black fingers all seen. R. H. feels touch under left shoulder. Feet held
[by Mrs. Sidgwick under table].
8.37. — All stand. Chair comes over [chair is lifted up and pushed on to
the table on my right side]. Warm grasp right [after phenomenon].
Left hand held. Chair on table. Feet well held. E.'s head on H. S.'s
shoulder.
Nov., 1895.] Eusapia Paladino. 155
Another chair [comes on to the table] R. H. same as before. Left hand
well held. Feet, observations to make.
[Mrs. S. afterwards explained that the right leg of E. moved upwards,
the toe being kept still on the floor, however, suggesting that the leg was
used to assist E.'s hand in lifting the chair on to the table.]
[What I explained was that the right leg was placed in a position which
might make it a convenient support for the chair and even give some help in
hitching it on to the table. E. was standing, and only the toe of the right
foot was kept in contact with the floor, the left foot being flat on floor. In
this position the thigh had, of course, a considerable slope and some power
of movement up and down. E. M. S.]
8.50. — Musical box is just behind heel [on the floor immediately behind
Eusapia.] Hands well held. It plays. R. H. feels elastic rubbing his
hand* [after the phenomenon]. Left hand well held. Head on H. S. Mrs.
S. feels "John's" hand doing it.
[E. made me feel round to ascertain its position. The handle almost
•touched her heel. I felt a hand moving the edge of her dress and touching
my hand which held her foot, and then the handle of musical box was moved.
I thought that the touching of my hand was accidental. E. M. S.]
[At some time previous to this the cap had fallen over and was
hanging behind E.'s head, thus exhibiting most of the movements of her head
to the sitters, by some of whom, including myself, it was observed that her
head bent down and turned as it naturally would if she were using her right
hand to play the musical box.]
9 '8. — Mrs. S. feels two hands on head under tabh. Might have been
done with one, she thinks. H.S. has one hand. R.H. feels elastic same
as before [i.e., after phenomenon].
[It was a pressure on two sides of head, intended, I thought, to suggest
two hands, and when I said I thought it was like two hands, Eusapia put
down her two hands, and gave a pressure intended to imitate it. It did so,
except that in the imitation the thumbs slightly touched the middle of my
head, where all was blank before. E.M.S.]
Mrs. M. touched, and heard clap. Left hand held. Remarkable dip [of
phosphorescent cap, showing movement of Eusapia's head]. R.H. has
elastic in left hand [afterwards].
[Eusapia requests the sitters to applaud, clap their hands.] There was
an applauding of John in the air — clap. [The sitters clapped their hands
together, and following this was an additional clapping, not so loud, from
the neighbourhood of Eusapia. This, by the help of the phosphorescent
appendage, I perceived to be Eusapia slapping her right cheek, with what
was doubtless her right hand.]
* At an earlier stage in the sitting, Eusapia had suggested that if we could not
discriminate her hands, we should pun an elastic band round one of them, which
would, she maintained, make confusion impossible. An elastic band was, therefore,
twisted round two fingers of her left hand. The control was, of course, an entirely
i llusory one, under the circumstances.
156 Journal of Society for Psychhical Research. [Nov., 1895.
I will add one incident from a later sitting, which enlarged our
ideas of the possibility of a trick with the foot, even when the holding
of the feet was of a kind that we regarded as secure, i.e., when they
were held by the hands of a person under the table. I had frequently
asked Eusapia — or rather " John " — to favour me with a hand-grasp
when I was holding the two hands of the medium in my two hands,,
since I regarded this as the only mode of holding the hands which could
ever be perfectly satisfactory to myself. " John " had promised to do-
this, but had not yet fulfilled his promise. Eusapia, inferring from
Dr. Hodgson's complaisance that he was an inobservant holder, thought
the time had come to gratify me. Accordingly, Dr. Hodgson having
gone under the table to hold her feet, she insisted on his turning his left
hand back upwards, and was then observed by him to make her left
foot do duty for two, thus getting her right foot free. In the mean-
while, without being asked to do so, she had given me both her hands.
I was then touched on the thigh in a way that could easily be managed
with the right foot. She spoke joyfully afterwards of having at last
succeeded in giving me the phenomenon long asked for, under the con-
ditions prescribed.
The phenomena described by Dr. Hodgson were afterwards repro-
duced with more or less completeness in the experience of other sitters.
I give, as an example of these later observations by members of the
circle other than Dr. Hodgson, the following notes written by Miss
Johnson the day after the seance at which the incidents occurred.
Notes on Seance of September 6th, 1895.
[Written on September 7th.]
The first touch I felt last night was one that could easily have been done
by Eusapia's foot. Mrs. Myers immediately afterwards went under the table-
and held her feet, while Mr. Myers had the left hand and I was supposed to-
be having the right hand. Then came a long series of phenomena, chiefly
grasps, which it seemed clear to me were done by the right hand. They were-
preceded by nearly an hour's interval, during which Eusapia kept oil asking:
for less and less light, and fussed about with the curtains, etc. Then she
began practising on my hand. She kept it generally, palm downwards, on.
the table, with her right hand pressing on it, sometimes squeezing it between
her right thumb and fingers. Often I could feel the thumb, then the hand
would be lifted, with the tips of the fingers only on me — so that I could not
have told which hand it was — but constantly the whole hand and thumb
would come back, as if to assure me that it was the same hand all the time.
Then what I took for an actual substitution began, the fingers of the left
hand being apparently put on mine instead of the right hand, for a few
moments, after which the right hand returned and grasped me, so that I
Nov. 1895.] Eusapia Paladino. 157
could feel the thumb again. The difference between the right and left fingers
was something very slight and difficult to define, but I think I was aware of
their sloping in a different direction. My hand had meanwhile been drawn
gradually across the table and I was aware that it was now close to Mr.
Myers'. Twice I thought that the substitution had taken place, and gave
warning of it, expecting a phenomenon, but nothing happened. The third
time I was certain of the substitution — i.e. certain that the right hand had left
me and that something else was on me — and after this I felt a distinct grasp,
as of a hand squeezing my back. Then the right hand came back and
squeezed me hard, so that I could feel the thumb again. After this first
touch, phenomena began to occur with great rapidity. All those requiring a
hand that occurred while the feet were held appeared to me to be done by
Eusapia's right hand. I felt the hand coming back and grasping me after
every one of them, and was clearly aware of the previous substitution in all
but two or three cases, where, I think, my attention had been diverted tor a
moment.
The object substituted was not always the same, but I think it was
always part of a fore-arm or hand, — in the early cases, probably the left
fingers ; in the later cases, when Eusapia became more reckless, any-
thing else that happened to be convenient. When Mrs. Myers was first
touched under the table, I felt the edge of an arm — which I took to be the
ulnar side of the left arm — resting on me. On other occasions it appeared
to be the bare left fore-arm which was on me. Once or twice it was the bare
right fore-arm. I distinguished them partly by the slope. At frequent
intervals, — but always between phenomena — the whole right arm was resting
on the table, parallel with and pressed against my left arm. Then it would
move along so that the fore-arm rested on my hand, leaving the hand free.
Or more often, it would move away and the left fore-arm would appear to
press on me instead.
I tried constantly to obtain a better holding and this was frequently
allowed in the intervals between phenomena, my hand being allowed to turn
palm upwards and feel about pretty freely. But it was invariably turned
palm down again before anything began, and then generally pressed hard on
the table, so that I could not have moved it without a great effort.
Sometimes I thought it was the knuckles or outer side of the joints of
the left fingers that were pressing on me ; sometimes it was their tips. On
one occasion I felt the nails, and these clearly indicated — by the slope and
position — that it was the left fingers. I turned my fingers slightly up to
feel them.
Mr. Myers was obliged all the time to hold the left hand in such a way
that part of it might have been used as described.
The only difficulty in the way of this explanation was the question
whether the left hand was near enough to the right to be substituted for it.
There was no evidence at any time that the two hands were not near
enough, and often it was clear that they were. At the beginning, my hand
was drawn far across the table towards Mr. Myers. When he was holding
158 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1895,
the left hand below the table, the right hand was holding mine on the right
thigh. When, as often happened, he was holding the left hand in the air
above the table, I several times felt the ends of fingers on me, as if the left
fingers Avere stretching straight down from above. Once, when his hand was
in the air, my hand was put on to the accordion which was on the table, as if
to lift it towards his. Once Mr. Myers' hand was moved towards me,
ostensibly to show how far apart the hands were, just after my hand had
been withdrawn towards my side of the table.
While Mrs. Myers had the left hand and I the right, it was almost
always the left hand that was used to produce the phenomena, and she then
observed processes of substitution similar to what I had been observing on
the right. Most of the time, the right hand was enclosing mine so that I
had no control of the fingers, and a chair lying on the table enabled us to
locate positions, so that we knew that the right and left hands were near
together. The phenomena followed one another very quickly, but we
thought we could account for each one of them as it occurred.
The feet were used very little, being held most of the time. Four cases
are described in the notes. The last was interesting, as simulating a grasp
by a hand. I felt a touch on my left hip, three points of contact at once.
It felt something like a hand, but gave one the impression rather of a
deformed hand, with incomplete fingers. I think it was produced by th&
sole of the foot being curved, so that only the heel and toes touched me, the
heel making one point of contact, and the toes the other two — the great toe
being very slightly opposed to the others.
Several times during the evening, we saw "John's" hand or fingers
against the chinks or openings of the curtains of the recess, sometimes
when some one was being touched, and sometimes not. I also saw " John's
head " once. On all these occasions, there was clear evidence that Eusapia's
hand or head was free at the time. With regard to the " head," I noticed a
curious illusion which I cannot explain, viz., that while something in the
appearance suggested to me that the "head " was on a level with the further
end of the table — which Eusapia's head could hardly have reached unless
she stood up and leant far forward — something else gave me the impression
that the "head " was only at the point that she could easily have reached
without standing. She was actually sitting at the time, and I have no doubt
that the latter impression was the correct one. But if this second element
in the perception had been missing, I should have thought I had seen a.
head in a position where it was almost impossible for Eusapia's head to be.
ALICE JOHNSON.
Mr. Myers writes : —
September 7th, 1895.
My experience was complementary to Miss Johnson's. On one occasion I
felt sure that the hand which I held was too high in the air for its fingers to
touch Miss Johnson's hand, which I assumed to be on the table. But that
was the very occasion when Miss Johnson's hand had, as it proved, been
previously placed on the accordion. On one occasion I felt almost sure that
Nov., 1895.] International Congress of Psychology. 159*
the ends of the fingers of the hand felt by me were being used to press on
something else, — i.e. on Miss Johnson's hand. I felt a slight muscular strain
in the fingers in question. F. W. H. MYERS.
After the observations of which these are specimens, we had no
doubt that the defective holding — which, as I have said, had been
frequently noted from first to last — had all along been used for fraud.
We then carefully examined those experiences in the earlier sittings
which at the time had appeared to us not to be explicable by the
mere supposition that one hand was fraudulently freed. Considering
these in the light of the insight that we had now gained into Eusapia's
methods, and making due allowance for imperfect observation, or
imperfect record of observation, in the case of one or two of the less
experienced sitters, we — that is, Mr. and Mrs. Myers, Miss Johnson,
Mrs. Sidgwick, and myself, as well as Dr. Hodgson, — unanimously
adopted the conclusion that nothing but trickery had been at work in
the Cambridge series of experiments.
HENRY SIDGWICK.
THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF
PSYCHOLOGY.
We have received invitations to the third International Congress
of Psychology, to be held at Munich, August 4th-7th, 1896. The
Chairman of the Committee of Reception is the well-known psycholo-
gist, Professor Lipps, and the General Secretary is Dr. Freiherr von
Schrenk-Notzing, well known to readers of the Proceedings and
Journal. The International Committee of Organisation consists in
the main of psychologists who were present at the London meeting in
1892. Their names are as follows : —
President : PROF. DR. STUMPF, member of the " Akadernie der Wissens
chaften," Berlin, W., Niirnbergerstrasse 14.
Vice-President : PROF. DR. LIPPS, Munchen, Georgenstrasse 18/r
General Secretary : DR. FRHR. VON SCHRENCK-NOTZING, prakt. Arzt,
Munchen, Max Josephstrasse 2/x.
Members oj the Committee :
PROF. BAIN, Aberdeen, N.B.
PROF. BALDWIN, Princeton University, New Jersey, U.S.A.
PROF. BERNHEIM, Nancy, Hopital civil, France.
PROF. DELBOEUF, Brussels, Belgium.
PROF. DR. H. DONALDSON, Chicago, 111., U.S.A.
160 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1895-
PROF. EBBINGHAUS, Breslau, Germany.
PROF. TERRIER, 34, Cavendish-square, London, W.
PROF. G. S. FULLERTON, 116, Spruce-street, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A.
PROF. STANLEY-HALL, Clark University, Worcester, Mass., U.S.A.
PROF. HITZIG, Halle, Germany.
PROF. JAMES, 95, Irving-street, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A.
PROF. LEHMANN, Kopenhagen, Hagelsgade 7, Denmark.
PROF. LIEGEOIS, Nancy, France.
PROF. LIGHTNER WITHER, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,
Pa., U.S.A.
PROF. MENDELSSOHN, Petersburg, Moika 81, Russia.
PROF. VON MONAKOW, Zurich, Stadelhoferstr. 10, Switzerland.
PROF. MORSELLI, Geneva, via Assarotti 46, Italy.
F. W. H. MYERS, ESQ., Leckhampton House, Cambridge.
DR. NEWBOLD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A.
PROF. PREYER, Villa Panorama, Wiesbaden, Germany.
PROF. RICHET, rue de I'Universite" 15, Paris, France.
PROF. SCHAFER, University College, Gower-street, London, W.C.
PROF. SIDGWICK, Newnham College, Cambridge.
PROF. SULLY, East Heath-road, Hampstead, London, N.W.
DR. WARD, Selwyn Gardens, Cambridge.
The opening of the Congress will take place on the morning of
August 4th, 1896, in the great " Aula " of the Royal University.
All psychologists and all educated persons who desire to further the
progress of psychology and to foster personal relations among the
students of psychology in different nations are invited to take part in
the meetings of the Congress.
Female members will have the same rights as male.
Psychologists who propose (1) to offer papers or addresses or (2)
generally to take part in the Congress are requested to fill up the
forms which accompany the complete official programme, and to send
them, with written abstracts of their intended communications, to the
Secretary's office (Munich, Max Josephstrasse 2) before May 15th, 1896.
'The Committee cannot guarantee that communications received after
May 15th will be included in the programme. The abstracts will be
^printed and distributed amongst the audience, so that the different
languages used at the Congress may be better understood.
The subscription to be paid by those desiring to take part in the
Congress is 15s. On receipt of this sum, a card will be sent to every
member entitling him to attend all the meetings and to receive the
journal, Tageblatt, issued daily (with a register of the members), and
Nov., 1895.] International Congress of Psychology. 161
one copy of the Report of the Congress. The card also admits to all
festivities arranged in connexion with the Congress and all special
privileges granted to its members.
The Tageblatt, which will appear in four numbers, will serve to
register the guests, and will contain information as to accommodation,,
the programme of the papers and addresses and social arrangements,
the list of members, and a short notice of the places of interest in Munich.
The languages used at the Congress may be German, French,
English, and Italian.
The Congress will perform its work in general and sectional meet-
ings. The division of the sections will be arranged according to the
papers and addresses which may be offered. The meetings take place
at the Royal University.
The length of the papers or addresses at the sectional meetings is-
limited to 20 minutes. It is hoped that any member who takes part in
the discussion will, to ensure a correct report of his speech, give the
chief points of it (on a form which will be provided) either during or
at the close of the meeting.
Those members of the Local Committee who are mentioned in the
complete official programme will give all information as to their
respective departments of work, and also in connexion with the
inspection of scientific institutes and demonstrations.
The programme of work is a comprehensive one, distributed under
four heads: — (1) Psychophysiology ; (2) Psychology of the normal
individual ; (3) Psychopathology ; (4) Comparative Psychology. The
sub-heads which chiefly concern members of our Society as such are : —
(a) Hypnotism, theory of suggestion, normal sleep, dreams.
Psychical automatism. Suggestion in relation to pedagogics
and criminality ; pedagogical psychology.
(6) Alternating consciousness, psychical infection, the pathological
side of hypnotism, pathological states of sleep.
(c) Psychotherapy and suggestive treatment.
(d) Mental suggestion, telepathy, transposition of senses ; interna-
tional statistics of hallucinations.
It will be desirable to engage rooms beforehand, as the Munich
hotels are generally very full in the beginning of August.
Members coming to the Congress may ask on their arrival at the
station to be directed to the bureau of the " Verein zur Forderung des
Fremdenverkehrs." Here information as to hotels, pensions, and
private lodgings to be recommended will gladly be given.
162 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1895.
The Secretary's office will be at the Royal University (Ludwig-
strasse 17) during the Congress, from August 3rd onwards.
The complete official programme and the form of application for
membership may be obtained by any Member or Associate of the
.S.P.R. on application to E. T. Bennett, Esq., 19, Buckingham-street,
Adelphi, London, W.C.
CASE RECEIVED BY THE LITERARY COMMITTEE.
I-.— 993. Ae Pn Collective Auditory.
This case was sent to us by Miss Ada McNeill, of Cushenden
House, Co. Antrim, who obtained it from her cousin, Miss Key.
Miss Key writes : —
March llth, 1895.
It was on March 16th, 1891, in London ; I had gone up to bed early,
leaving my hostess in the drawing-room. I had only been in my room a few
minutes when I began to feel very faint ; so much so and so suddenly, that
everything was black before my eyes before I could look for the bell. I
stumbled to the bed and threw myself upon it. As I did so 1 thought to
myself : " Oh, if only I could ring the bell ! How I do wish I could ring the
bell ! " for I did not like the idea of fainting alone, when it was not probable
that any one would come to my room that night. I was still struggling to
keep my consciousness when the housemaid came into my room. I was feel-
ing too ill to be much surprised at the moment, but when I had quite
recovered and the housemaid had left the room, it struck me as strange that
she should have come in.
The next morning I said to my hostess : "I wonder why the housemaid
came to my room last night. I did not expect her."
" Oh," said my friend, " I sent her. I heard your bell ring, and as she
did not answer it I called to her to go."
I laughed. " But I didn't ring ! I couldn't even see where the bell was,
though I wanted very much to ring ! "
" Nonsense," said my friend, " I heard the bell ! You must have rung it
without knowing what you were doing, when you were on your way to the
bed."
I thought to myself ; " Well, I am perfectly sure I did not ring that bell,
but I'll go and see whereabouts in the room it is. If, for instance, it is on the
further side of the bed from where I was standing, perhaps she will believe
I did not ring it mechanically."
When I went up to my room I found there was no bell in it.
MAUD M. KEY.
The lady with whom Miss Key was staying adds a note : —
This account is substantially correct.
CONSTANCE MONRO.
Nov., 1895.] Correspondence. 163
Later she wrote a full account of her own impression in a letter to
Miss McNeill as follows • —
Whinside, Chislehurst, May 18th, 1895.
Maud Key was staying with me in London, and as we had no real spare
room she was sleeping in an attic. We found out afterwards that there was
«, little bell wire just below the ceiling over the fireplace, meant to have a
cord attached, but at the time there was no cord, as we did not know it was
there. It could not have been reached without standing on a chair, and even
then would have been almost impossible to pull, as it was so small. I am
perfectly sure Maud could not have pulled it. Maud had gone to bed early
as she was feeling unwell, and I was sitting downstairs, when I suddenly
heard a strange bell ring. I knew all the bells so well that I was utterly
.astonished to hear the strange one, and ran out of the drawing-room to meet
the maid on the stairs. She was as much surprised as I was, and I think we
both ran up to Maud's room, feeling very queer, as we thought there was no
bell there. The rest you know. I really forget whether we found her lying
on the bed, or on the floor, and helped her to bed, but that has nothing to
do with the story of the bell. As there was a bell there (though we did not
know it) the ring may have been caused by a mouse on the wire, but even
then it was very remarkable that it should happen just at that moment.
* * * *
CONSTANCE MONRO.
CORRESPONDENCE.
[The Editor is not responsible for opinions expressed b\i Correspondents.]
CONCERNING EUSAPIA PALADINO.
October 17th, 1895.
SIR. — We all ought to be grateful to anyone who exposes fraud ; and
if Eusapia Paladino can cheat we ought to know it. Feeling this, there are
many who regretted that at the meeting of the Society on the llth, there
was no time for explanation or questioning. We were certainly not told
what Eusapia did as a cheat, and how she did it. That curious muddle of
demonstration as to her manipulation of hands seemed singularly useless.
The report of the convincing experiments on "the island" shewed that
Eusapia's hands were very carefully held, while Dr. Hodgson's slight reference
to deception turned upon Eusapia's holding other people's hands. Neither
could we see the remotest bearing of Dr. Hodgson's odd remark that he had
•cheated somewhere by putting his toes on one foot of an experimenter, and
his heel upon another, and had thus induced him to believe that both his feet
were in contact with the experimenter's feet, and therefore not available for
tricks. But here again, if we want to secure the feet of a medium by contact,
we do not allow the medium to put his feet on the experimenter's but the
reverse. At " the island " experiments, Eusapia's feet were specially held.
See The Journal for March and April, pages 56, 57, 67.
It is the oddest thing imaginable that at "the island," with the most
stringent tests, the evidence seemed conclusive ; while, with admittedly loose
conditions at Cambridge, the evidence seemed to go to pieces. Is it possible
that the poor woman was over anxious, and took advantage of the little trap
deliberately opened for her ? Dr. Hodgson told us that the conditions were
164 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1895,
relaxed OH purpose that her methods might be followed ! Or may we say that
the great doctrine of telepathy or thought-transference, which is made to
account for so many things, will account for Eusapia doing precisely what
Dr. Hodgson had decided she could and would do ? If half of what the leaders
of the Society say about thought-transference is true, it seems to me perfectly
plain that two such masterful minds as Professor Sidgwick and Dr. Hodgson
could make ( and could unconsciously make ) a sensitive like Eusapia do
anything.
Anyhow, we are a hundred miles away from any proof that Eusapia is
a fraud, and only a fraud. Whether she is a mixture is another matter.
Most of us are that ! J. PAGE HOPPS.
REPLY TO MR. PAGE HOPPS, CONCERNING EUSAPIA PALADINO.
By F. W. H. Myers.
The report of the meeting on October llth, printed in the October
Journal, will have met some of Mr. Page Hopps' questions. But there are
still some points on which explicit statements by me may be of use. It will
be understood that in what follows I am speaking of the Cambridge stances
alone.
Eusapia Paladino stayed in my house for seven weeks, and we held twenty
stances ; the persons present being from time to time varied, and including
several men of high eminence in the scientific world. During all that time
Eusapia persistently threw obstacles in the way of proper holding of the
hands ; she only allowed for a part of the time on each occasion the only
holding of the feet which we regarded as secure, — i.e. the holding by the
hands of a person under the table. Moreover she repeatedly refused any
satisfactory test other than holding. Generally we endeavoured to make the
holding as good as she would allow us to make it ; although towards the end
we occasionally left her quite free to be held or to hold as she pleased ; — on
which occasions she continued the same frauds, in a more obvious manner.
The frauds were practised both in and out of the real or alleged trance, and
were so skilfully executed that "the poor woman " must have practised them
long and carefully.
Most of the regular sitters were, in fact, at first disposed to believe the
phenomena genuine, and sympathy and encouragement were certainly not
lacking. With the exception of a few days of trifling ailment, Eusapia was
in good health all the time, and appeared to be very much at her ease, quite
happy, and very unwilling to leave us. Since she was going to a group of
investigators in France on leaving us, I considered it my duty not to interfere
with their investigation by making known our discoveries in any complete
way to Eusapia herself. We frequently, however, explained both to her and
to "John", her alleged control, the defects in the holding and in the other
conditions allowed, but with no resulting benefit ; — only accesses of " John's "
real or pretended anger, and gradual diminution of phenomena of any kind.
Though Dr. Hodgson's experience and insight were of the greatest value to
us, he was actually present at only a few of the stances, and Professor
Sidgwick was absent from some of them. The presence or absence of these
observers made no perceptible alteration in the general character of the phe-
nomena. At the close of the seances, on a comparison of all the recorded
observations, I — as well as Professor and Mrs. Sidgwick — had no doubt that
systematic trickery had been used from first to last, and that there was no
adequate ground for attributing any of the phenomena occurring at these
sittings to a supernormal cause.
No. CXXIV.— VOL. VII. DECEMBER, 1895.
JOURNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
CONTENTS. PAGE
Spirit Photography (with Illustrations) 105
A Recent Case of " Faith-Healing " 172
Cases 173
Correspondence: Eusapia Palaclino .. .. 178
Notice .. 180
SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY.
We think that our readers may be interested in the following
analysis of a case which has recently been brought to our notice as one
of supposed " spirit photography," the importance of which seemed to
be considerably enhanced by its involving a very well-authenticated
coincidence. It will be seen, however, that the lady who took the
photograph — Miss S. R. Corbet — was from the first fully alive to the
inconclusive nature of the evidence for any supernormal agency being
concerned in its production. We are indebted in the first instance for
information about the case to Lady Fitzgerald, through whose kind-
ness Professor Barrett was put into, communication with the persons
concerned. From a mass of correspondence on the subject, Professor
Barrett put together in June, 1895, the account printed below, which
was afterwards corrected and signed by Miss Corbet.
Miss Sybell Corbet, when staying with her sister, Lady S., at D. Hall
[assumed name], took a photograph' of the library in the afternoon of
December 5th, 1891, between 2 and 3 o'clock. The exposure was rather a
long one. No one was present with Miss Corbet when the picture was
taken, but on developing the negative, the head and body of an elderly
gentleman appeared seated on a high-backed, old oak chair, one arm resting
on the arm of the chair, the other arm of the figure and the legs being
invisible. The figure, in fact, only went down to the waist, and though the
face was rather indistinct, it appeared to have a short beard. When the
picture was shown to one of the nearest relatives of Lord D., the late owner
of D. Hall, she thought it exactly like him ; others, however, who knew
him, think it too indistinct to be sure of any likeness. Strangely enough, it
turned out that the funeral of Lord D. was taking place on the very same
day and hour at which the photograph was taken.
Miss Corbet is sure the plate had not been exposed before, and was
one of a parcel of dry Ilford plates. Unfortunately, the exposure being
166 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. PKC., 1895.
somewhat long, she was not in the room the whole time, and did not
lock the doors when she left the room ; but the only men in the house
were her youngest brother, the butler, and two footmen, and all these four
were young men and beardless. In answer to inquiries, Miss Corbet states
that the servants would not be at all likely to have entered the room, and her
brother declares he did not. None of them would, she is certain, be likely
to play a practical joke, and even if they did, the difficulty would be to
explain the production of an older, bearded figure, without legs, and one
considered by some of his near relatives to be very like Lord D. and entirely
unlike any men living in the house.
The men were all young and clean-shaven, except Miss Corbet's brother,
who had a moustache, and who is not in the least like the figure indepen-
dently of this.
I certify the foregoing account to be correct in every particular.
SYBELL R. CORBET.
The date is fixed by two separate notes made by Miss Corbet, —
at a time, when, as explained below, she had not observed the
coincidence, — as follows : —
Entry in photographic note-book. — December 5th, 1891 : subject, library,
D. ; exposure, 60 minutes ; plate, Ilford Ordinary ; hour, 2 to 3 p.m.
Entry in diary. — December 5th, 1891 : Lord D. buried at W. Church [two
miles from D.]
The following extracts from letters in our possession written by
Miss Corbet give further details.
Kingsland House, Shrewsbury.
May 2nd, 1895.
There are the most contradictory opinions about the likeness of the figure
in my D. photograph to Lord D. My sister thought it so like him that she
begged me to look out the date on which I had taken it, when I first noticed
that it was taken at the very time of Lord D.'s funeral. Since that, people
who knew him well have declared it was not in the least like him ; others
who knew him equally well that it was. But to my rnind it is not clear
enough to form a very definite opinion about, as the features are hidden by
a standard lamp.
It is a curious coincidence ; — an unaccountable figure appearing in a
photograph taken at that particular date, and that the figure should, in the
opinions of some who knew him most intimately, resemble Lord D.
June 12th, 1895.
You ask if there is any possibility of the plate having been exposed
before. So far as I am aware, none, as I always keep a very careful account
of every plate I expose ; or rather I should say. no probability, as I have
never exposed a plate twice without becoming aware of my mistake on taking
out the dark slides ; and, moreover, I had in those days never taken a human
figure — excepting as a minute object in a landscape — so the figure would still
DEC., 1895.]
Spirit Photography.
167
168 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC., 1895.
be unaccounted for. However, I am told by some photographers and others
that the pre-exposure may happen during the sensitising of the dry plate.
Of this, of course, I know nothing. The fact remains a curious one, I
think, although some photographers declare there is nothing odd in it — mere
accident and chance. But I quite agree with you that, as it is impossible to
prove that no one entered the room, it cannot be regarded "as affording
indubitable evidence of a 'spirit photograph."'
July 22nd, 1895.
I did not develop the plate until August of the following year, when I first
became aware of the presence of an unexpected figure ; but it was not until my
eldest sister, Mrs. R., suggested a likeness to the late Lord D., and asked me
if it was taken before or after his death, that I referred to my note-book and
diary, and found that it was on the day of the funeral (he died in London,
but was buried in the Church near D.). On later inquiry, I also discovered
that the time corresponded, the funeral being a little late, in consequence of
the lateness of the special train ; in fact, that during part of the exposure,
the service was waiting the arrival of some of the principal mourners. My
sister, Lady S., was renting D. Hall at this time ; and, so far as I can
remember, several of us (my sisters) were there when I arranged the camera,
after which we all went out, leaving the plate exposed, and the room quite
empty ! I had no particular interest in [the] arrn-chair, and have never been
able to discover that Lord D. was in the habit of using it, as he usually
occupied a smaller room, on the ground floor, when alone.
In the photograph, which is here reproduced, half of the upper
part of the figure of a man appears seated in the large chair on the
left. The high stand, carrying a flower-pot, in front of the chair seems
to cut off the other half of the face and body of the figure. The lower
part of the body and the legs are entirely wanting ; the head is semi-
transparent and the face very indistinct. A vague semblance of an
eye-brow, an eye, and a nose is seen on careful examination to be
really the carving of the back of the chair showing through.* It is
impossible to make out with certainty whether the face wears a beard
or not, but the head appears to be quite bald, and there is something
like a stock round the neck, which adds to the appearance of age.
These features were perhaps mainly instrumental in suggesting the
recognition.
With regard to the possibility that one of the footmen might have
got taken, either accidentally or as a practical joke, Miss Corbet points
out that the dress of the figure is apparently that of a gentleman,
whereas her sister's footmen always wore livery, although at that time
* All these points, as well as the serai-transparency of the figure as compared with
the solid objects surrounding it, are naturally shown more clearly in the photograph
than in the reproduction.
DEC., 1895.]
Spirit Photography.
169
EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPH BY PROFESSOR BARRETT AND
MR. GORDON SALT.
170 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC., iwi5.
they were in mourning. She thinks it more possible, although very
improbable, that some stranger came in for a few minutes ; the butler
declared that no one did so, but, unfortunately, enquiry was not made
until some time after the event.
The incompleteness of the figure, together with the supposition
that the room was empty while the photograph was being taken,
suggested the possibility that it was produced by something other than
an ordinary man, and the interest of this suggestion was much
heightened by the undoubted fact that Lord D.'s funeral was actually
occurring at the time.
Professor Barrett, however, with the aid of Mr. Gordon Salt,
experimented on the effects that could be produced by the transitory
introduction of a figure during a long exposure of a plate. The results
thus obtained by a person coming into the room, sitting on a chair
and moving his legs, were so very like the reputed ghost picture that
Professor Barrett writes : —
September 5th, 1895.
I can see how the "ghost" picture may have occurred, as I have
succeeded in reproducing it almost exactly. I believe that one of the
servants came into the room, sat down in the chair, crossed his legs and
then uncrossed them, looked down for a moment and then at the camera,
saw he was being taken, so got up and went away, having been in the chair
about 20 to 30 seconds. This will give the ghost of an apparently older
man from a young man, with no legs, and a semi-transparent face, &c.
Professor Barrett's photograph is also reproduced on p. 169, and
will be seen to be very similar in appearance to the other, only half
of the upper part of the figure — the half most strongly lighted —
being shown, and this being semi-transparent. There are very faint
indications of features in the face, and the chin, being abnormally
long and with no distinct outline, looks as though there were a short
white beard. A similar indefiniteness of outline on the right side
of the collar simulates the folds of a stock, and, as in Miss Corbet's
photograph, the legs are entirely absent.
Further light was thrown on the possible method of production
of Miss Corbet's photograph by Dr. H. D. R. Kingston, of Stor-
mont Lodge, "Willesden, N.W., an Associate of the Society, who has
had a long and varied experience in the investigation of " spirit
photography." He observed a point which, though not at all con-
spicuous at first sight, is very evident when once attention has been
drawn to it, — viz., that almost all the white lines or marks in the
photograph are doubled, the brightest or best-lighted lines being most
so. The doubling is clear, for instance, in some photographs and
DEC., 1895.] Spirit Photography. 171
candles standing on two tables, various parts of some chairs,
some of the handles of the drawers of a cabinet, and finally
in the books and mouldings of the book -shelves.* In each case,
there is a faint image to the right side of and slightly lower
down than the bright image of the same object. This shows that
the camera must have been moved slightly during the exposure,
as no movement of the furniture could have produced such complete
uniformity of the double appearance. Since one set of images is
much clearer than the other, the camera must have been moved either
near the beginning or near the end of the exposure. Miss Corbet,
however, informs us that the camera was placed in the open doorway
and partly outside it, and thinks it possible that she herself may have
shaken it in passing out of the room. This also makes it possible that
another person passing by may have moved it slightly without coming
into the room at all.
It is important to ascertain whether or not the "ghost" —
the figure in the chair — has a double outline as well as the other
objects in the room, as, if so, it would prove that the figure had
been in the chair during the whole of the exposure, and, there-
fore, could not be that of the person who moved the camera. Unfor-
tunately, it is altogether so faint, and its outline is so much blurred
that it is impossible to make certain of this point. So far, however,
as there can be said to be any double outline, it clearly does not
correspond with the double outline of the other objects. It is
possible to trace more than one outline in the head and stock or
collar, but impossible to say that the one on the right is lower down
than the one on the left ; if anything, it is slightly higher up. Further,
there are two distinct images of the elbow, but one is resting on the
arm of the chair, while the other projects some way below it. This
seems to prove conclusively that the figure — unlike all the other
objects in the room — moved during the exposure, and that the multi-
plication of its outlines was not due to the movement of the camera.
Thus the camera may have been moved by some one who came
into the room while the photograph was being taken, and Professor
Barrett's experiments prove that the semi-transparency and whole
appearance of the figure may have been caused by the person in
question sitting in the chair for a short time, and moving about in it
as he did so.
* The doubling is not shown very satisfactorily in the reproduction, but ia fairly
clear in the photograph standing on the small table to the extreme right, also in
another photograph in a high stand on the large table and a candle to the right of
this, and may be seen more faintly in the books.
172 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC., 1895.
A RECENT CASE OF "FAITH-HEALING."
A striking case of " faith-healing " is reported in the British Medical
Journal for November 16th, 1895. We quote in full the account
there given, which recalls some of the cases published in the paper on
"Mind-cure, Faith-cure, and the Miracles of Lourdes," by Dr. A. T.
Myers and Mr. F. W. H. Myers, in the Proceedings S.P.R., Vol. IX.,
p. 160.
" A ' miraculous ' cure has recently occurred in Moscow, where it
has caused considerable excitement. It is, perhaps, a more than usually
interesting instance, and therefore deserving of the permanent record
given to it by Professor Kozhevnikof, who gave the details of the case
at the last meeting of the Society of Neuro-Pathologists in Moscow.
The professor had not had the patient under his treatment, but had
seen him more than once both before and after the ' cure.' The
patient, N". D., was a lecturer in the Moscow University. He had
suffered from a severe form of sycosis menti since June, 1894, for which
he underwent treatment at the hands of various specialists — among
others, of Professors Kaposi, of Vienna ; Schwimmer, of Buda Pesth ;
Lassar, of Berlin ; Pospielof, of Moscow ; and Stukovenkof, of Kief.
In April last he returned to Moscow ; his chin was then covered with
a freely-suppurating eruption. He now sought the advice of a ' wise
woman,' an attendant at the baths, who was in the habit of giving
herbs and ' simples ' to her clients. In this case no such remedy was
employed. N. D. was told to meet the woman next morning at
5 o'clock in the Temple of the Saviour, the colossal church on the
Moskva river, which has been building all the century and is yet
incomplete, in memory of the famous events of 1812. He came as
told, and, while he remained a passive onlooker, the woman prayed for
three or four minutes ; the same thing was repeated that evening and
again the following morning. But in the meantime the eruption on
N. D.'s face had began to improve ; the discharge ceased, the swelling
subsided, and in twenty-four hours scarcely a sign of disease was left.
Such are the facts as given by the patient himself and confirmed by
Professor Kozhevnikof. The professor, however, adds some important
points bearing on the case : The patient is of neurotic temperament;
his sister is highly hysterical ; he had frequently had boils on both
arms, with a marked tendency to symmetry in position ; and the
sycosis itself showed some signs of being, if not of nervous origin, at
least under nervous influence. The impressive surroundings under
which the ' cure ' was wrought, and the mysterious cabalistic prayer —
which the woman refused to divulge, ' lest it should begin to act with
DEC., 1895.] Cases. 173
the person to whom she told it and cease to act with herself ' — are
also factors to be remembered in connection with the neurotic and
impressionable character of the patient."
CASES.
G. 248. Dreams.
The following case was sent to us by Mrs. Browne, of Bidston,
Alleyn Road, "West Dulwich.
The first narrative is extracted from an account privately printed a
few months after the events occurred.
Haylett House, Surbiton, Jiily, 1891.
Newbray Hall was drowned off Start Point, Devon, during the great
storm of March 9th, 1891, his vessel, the "Marana," being one of the many
which were lost at that spot.
He had had the offer of two or three vessels, including the " Marana,"
and came home on the 28th February, to consider what he should do, and
discussed the matter at considerable length on Tuesday evening, the
3rd March, with his father and Captain Byng, an old naval friend. The
deceased slept at home on Wednesday and Friday, and stated that he would
return to dinner on the Saturday, but he did not do so, and on Monday
morning his mother received a letter from him stating that he had sailed the
previous day in the " Marana."
On Monday evening the storm took place, and on the Tuesday or
Wednesday night following, Miss Annie Hall, aged 27, the sister of the
deceased, dreamt that she saw her brother on a raft apparently composed of
loose planks of wood, and he appeared to be swimming. On the same
or subsequent nights she had other dreams, in which she saw her brother
lying in a room, but she was unable to say whether alive or dead. This all
took place before any news had been received of the loss of the " Marana,"
and Miss Hall related her dreams immediately to Mrs. Syms, aged 40, who
had lived with the family as cook for about ten years. On Friday night a
telegram was received at Surbiton from the owners stating that the
"Marana" had been wrecked, and on the Saturday morning Mr. Wood,
who was in the employ of the deceased's father, went down to Devonshire,
and having ascertained that the body of the deceased had been recovered,
and was lying in a house at Prawle, South Devon, he identified it and
brought it to Brookwood for burial.
Matters remained in this position until the 16th June, when Mrs. Hall
and her daughter went to the house at Prawle in which the body had been
placed, and Miss Hall at once positively identified the room as the one she
had seen in her dreams. Upon going to the spot also where the body had
been found, a large number of railway sleepers were observed, which had
been washed up from the wreck, and, as can be seen from a photograph,
have very much the appearance of a raft such as that described in the
first dream.
174 Journal of Society /or Psychical Research. [DEC., 1895.
The sister's dreams, so far as can be ascertained, accurately represented
the events which took place in connection with the death of her brother.
Miss Hall wrote to Mrs. Browne : —
Blenheim Lodge, Surbiton, July 4th, 1895.
My brother Newbray sailed on Sunday, March 8th, 1891, in the
"Marana/'a small steamer, as he had to fill up six months before he
could pass as captain ; then he was going in the P. & O. I had no idea
Newbray was going to sail so soon, but we were to meet him in London on
Saturday, March 7th, but he didn't come. On Sunday mother had a letter
to say they were sailing that morning and he couldn't get away. I wrote
him a long letter on Monday, [the] 9th, and in the afternoon went to see a
girl friend in Kingston, but I felt so ill and depressed that I didn't stay very
late. It was about 4 '30 when I went into the market place to take the
omnibus home. When I was standing waiting, a fearful gust of wind and
snow seemed to blow, especially round me. , — that was about the time the ship
struck, — though the storm was getting very bad indeed. Newbray and I
were so devoted that I felt he was in some awful trouble. When I got home
I gave up a concert I was going to, as I felt so ill and anxious. 1 didn't
dream anything on the Monday, but on Tuesday I dreamt that I saw him on
a raft made up of loose planks of wood, and he appeared to be swimming.
On the same and following nights I had other dreams, and in one particular
one I saw him lying on the floor in a room with a slanting roof ; he looked
very still and white, but I couldn't tell if he were alive or dead. I could tell
the room was in the country somewhere, as I could see it was whitewashed
and they had red flowers in the windows. I told our old cook, Mrs. Syms,
who had then been with us ten years, when she came up with my tea.
On Friday we got a telegram to say the " Marana " was wrecked. On
June 16th mother and I went to the house at Prawle where they had
taken his poor body. As soon as I got in I went upstairs to the room,
as I knew it at once from rny dream, and pointed out to mother the spot
where he lay. The woman in the house couldn't understand it, as I had
never been there. My dream was accurate in every detail, even to the
low long windows, and the most wonderful thing was that I dreamt the
dream the night he was taken to the cottage. His body was found
amongst railway sleepers that looked just the same as I saw them in my
first dream, so in every respect my dreams represented accurately the events
which took place in connection with my brother's death. I had never been
to South Devon and never heard of Prawle. He was 25 and I 27 when he
died. We were most devoted.
ANNIE HALL.
The following note was written by the servant to whom Miss Hall
related her dreams at the time : —
Blenheim Lodge, Surbiton.
Miss Hall told me about her dreams when I took her bedroom tea in
before she was up.
MARY SYMS.
DEC., 1895.] . Cases. 175
Mrs. Hall writes : —
Blenheim Lodge, Surbiton, July 12th.
I beg to say that my daughter, Annie Hall, described the room at Prawle
to me before we visited the place, in fact so distinctly that on entering the
room I was struck with the resemblance and turned to my daughter for
confirmation.
E. O. HALL.
Miss Hall writes further : —
Blenheim Lodge, Surbiton, July 12th, 1895.
The dreams were of conditions actually existing, just as it was happening
to my brother Newbray, not prophetic. I have never had any other dreams
in my life. And I can only conclude that I had these because my brother
and I were so devoted.
G. 249. Dream.
The following is a case which was noted at the time, before it was
known to be veridical.
It was received by Mr. Barkworth, who writes concerning it : —
West Hatch, Chigwell, Essex, August 2Uh, [1895.]
It has been often made a subject of reproach by persons who distrust the
S.P.R. that the evidence we obtain is seldom, if ever, supported by written
records demonstrably made before the dream or the hallucination had been
verified by subsequently ascertained facts. Indeed, a Mr. Taylor Innes,
writing in the Nineteenth Century some years ago, went so far, if I
remember rightly, as to assert that no such case could be produced up to
the time he wrote. It must certainly be admitted that in provokingly
numerous instances it is found that the alleged letter or diary has been
destroyed.
The following experience of the Rev. E. K. Elliott, Rector of Worthing,
who was formerly in the navy, and who made the entry in his diary as quoted
when he was cruising in the Atlantic out of reach of post or telegraph, will
therefore be found of interest. The diary is still in his possession.
T. B.
Extract from diary written out in Atlantic, January 14M, 1847.
"Dreamt last night I received a letter from my uncle, H. E., dated
January 3rd, in which news of my dear brother's death was given. It
greatly struck me."
My brother had been ill in Switzerland, but the last news I received on
leaving England was that he was better.
The " January 3rd " was very black, as if intended to catch my eye.
On my return to England I found, as I quite expected, a letter awaiting
me saying my brother had died on the above date.
E. K. ELLIOTT.
Worthing.
176 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC., 1895.
L. 994. Ae P3 Dream.
The following case comes to us through the American branch of
the S.P.R. : —
Satank, Colorado, January 2nd, 1894.
We live on a farm ten miles from Glenwood Springs. At Glenwood
Springs a Mrs. Walz, whom my wife has known for some years, lives with
her husband. She was the mother of two children, one an infant. This
Mrs. Walz, our daughter (who is married and lives near us — a mile away)
and a Mrs. Zimmermann have been, from the time of their first acquaint-
ance, intimate friends. Mrs. Zimmermann lives four miles from us, fourteen
miles from Glenwood Springs.
My wife had nob seen Mrs. Walz for months, had not heard anything
about her for some time, and did not know of any sickness in her family.
On Sunday morning, December 17th, while my wife was dressing, and
before she had seen or spoken to any one but me, she told me of a dream
she had had in the night. She dreamed that Mrs. Walz's baby was dead,
and that she was at their house. She wished to do certain work that
needed to be done in the house, but she was not dressed. While she was
struggling vainly to get her clothes on, Mrs. Zimmermann came into the
dream, doing this work.
It was about six o'clock when my wife told me this. About ten o'clock
our daughter came in and told us that she and her husband had been to
Glenwood Springs the day before to attend the funeral of Madgie Walz's
baby, and that Hattie Zimmermann was there doing the work which has to be
done on such occasions.
Our son was out that night and heard of the death of the child ; but he
did not return till one o'clock — long after we were in bed — and he was not
up, nor had he spoken to his mother, when she told me the dream. She
heard him come in, and she thinks the dream came after that.
STEPHEN PEEBLES.
Mrs. Peebles writes : —
My husband has read the above to me. My dream was as he has told it,
and my recollection of the circumstances connected with my telling it to
him and its verification is as he has given them. j) ^ pEEBLES
Mr. F. M. Peebles, son of the percipient, writes : —
[Satank, Colorado, January 2nd, 1894.]
I was away from home on that evening of December 16th, and was told of
the death of the child, which formed the subject of my mother's dream. I
think this was about eight or nine o'clock in the evening, but I did not return
home until after midnight, and did not speak to my mother about what I
had heard until near noon the next day. FKANK M PEEBLES.
L. 995. An Pn Auditory.
The next case was received from Mrs. C. R. Griffing, an
Associate member of the American branch of the S.P.R., who is
DEO., 1895.] Oases. 177
well-known to Dr. Hodgson. She made the following note of what
she had heard from the percipient, her daughter-in-law, before they
knew that it had any correspondence with the actual facts : —
Box 14, White Plains, New York, June 13M, 1891.
Just now I am feeling much worried about my son Horace, who is
away. My sister, who has many times made correct predictions, wrote me
that she saw Horace very ill, and last evening my daughter in-law, after she
went to her room, heard Horace, as she supposed, enter the casement
kitchen ; she heard him rock in his favourite large chair and move about.
This morning, when I went down to breakfast, she said, " Horace came,
didn't he?" She was so sure that he came that she had more coffee made
for him. Just now I am the only one who drinks coffee. She thought she
heard me early this morning ask him how he was feeling. All this may not
be premonitory, but it worries me. JANE R GRIPPING.
Her son actually returned home the next day, and Mrs. Griffing
wrote shortly after : —
[June 28th, 1891.]
The morning of June 13th, when I went down to breakfast, my daughter-
in-law remarked carelessly, " Horace came last night, didn't he?" "No,"
I said, " He did not come." " But 1 heard him come," she exclaimed, in a
surprised tone. " Are you sure he isn't here ? " I answered that I was
sure. " But," she persisted, "did you look into the room ? I am sure I
heard him." It was difficult to convince her that he was not somewhere
about. He had been away only a few days, was well, as far as we knew, and
we had no reason to be anxious about him. The next day he returned and
told me that he came very near coming the evening before, but after talking
it over with Charley he decided to wait until the next day. They both told
me of their discussing it about eight o'clock. JANE R GRIFFIXG
The percipient describes her impression as follows : —
During the evening of June 12th, about eight o'clock, I went to my
room. Some time before nine, I heard my brother-in-law, Horace, come to
the basement-kitchen door; finding it locked he went to a window, raised
it and stepped in. I heard him strike a match, move about the room, and
sit down in a large rocking chair. I was so absolutely sure that it was
Horace that I did not go down to see who it was, or speak to my mother-in-
law about it. I supposed she knew that Horace was there. The reason I was
so sure that it was Horace instead of anyone else was that my other
brother-in-law was in the house, my husband would not come until the next
day, and all the movements I heard were exactly like Horace's habits when
he had been out and came in by the basement, especially his sitting and
rocking in that particular chair. pHEBE L GRIFFING.
Mr. C. L. Griffing and his brother give the following account of
what they were doing at the time : —
178 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC., 1895.
The evening of June 12th, my brother Horace and I were together for an
hour or so before nine o'clock. It must have been about eight when we were
discussing the question of his returning to White Plains that night, or
waiting until the next day and [going] up with me. He was quite inclined at
first to go by a late train that evening but decided to wait until the next day.
CHAS. L. GRIFFING.
My brother's account of the conversation between us in regard to my
returning home during the evening of June 12th is correct. It could not
have been far from eight o'clock, as we were not together until after seven,
and separated before nine. H M GRIFFINO
In answer to Dr. Hodgson's further enquiries, Mrs. Griffing
writes : —
Box 14, White Plains, New York, April 1st, [1892.]
In reply to your enquiry, at the time of the telepathic incident of June
12th, it was entirely uncertain when Horace would return ; he might come at
any time and might not for weeks. He was in the City for a special purpose
and did not know what the result would be. I was not expecting him at that
time, as it was too soon for him to know what his plans would be, and he
returned only for two or three days. I was not in the least anxious about
him, as he was well and in no trouble of any kind.
JANE R. GRIFFINO.
CORRESPONDENCE.
\T1ie Editor is not responsible for opinions expressed by Correspondents.]
EUSAPIA PALADINO.
The following letter has been received by Mr. Myers from
Professor Richet.
MON CHER MYERS, — Me permettrez vous quelques observations a propos
des faits relatifs a Eusapia, qui ont £td notes a Cambridge ? II me parait en
effet qu'il y a quelque interet a ne pas laisser 1'opinion publique s'egarer et a
ramener les faits a leur juste proportion. Je ii'ai pas voulu repondre tout
de suite, precisement pour me donner le temps de la reflexion.
Or, si 1'on r^duit les choses a leur veritable signification, on voit qu'il n'y
a pas eu reellemeiit de fait nouveau decouvert a Cambridge. En efFet,
comme le rappelait le professeur Sidgwick, j'avais decrit depuis longtemps
les proce'de's que pouvait employer ou meme qu'employait Eusapia. Ce
n'etait pas nouveau ; car M. Torelli, dans le Corriere della sera, les avait de"ja
indiqu^s avant moi. J. Ochorowicz les a depuis signales a Varsovie. Done
il n'y a eu rien d'impreVu dans la soi-disant substitution des mains.
De meme pour la substitution des pieds. II est evident que nous savions
tous que la tenue des pieds par nos pieds, dechaussds ou non, est parfaite-
ment illusoire, et c'est pour cela, qu'apres avoir essaye quantity d'appareils
DEC., 1895.] Correspondence. 179
electriques divers, nous eumes, en de"sespoir de cause, recours au precede"
simple, mais peu agreable, qui consiste a se mettre sous la table et a tenir
avec ses mains les deux pieds d'Eusapia.
Je ne vois done pas que les observations de M. Hodgson aient apporte un
element nouveau dans la question, puisque toutes ces fraudes, ou apparences
de fraudes, avaient ete bel et bien constatees, analyse"es, et decrites.
Ce qu'il y a de nouveau, dit-on, c'est que ces fraudes ont ete plus
accentuees que nous 1'avions suppose. Mais nullement, et nous les avioiis
toujours supposees au maximum, car, du moment qu'une experience quel-
conque pouvait etre expliquee par une fraude, meme invraisemblable, et que
toutes les precautions n'avaient pas ete prises pour l'e"viter, nous ne donnions
a cette experience aucune valeur. Nous nous sommes toujours places dans
cette hypothese que la premiere explication a donner, c'est la fraude, et ce
n'est qu'apres avoir admis dans tel ou tel cas la fraude comme impossible,
et absolument impossible, que nous admettions le caractere veridique de
1'experience.
Degageons done les faits de tous details. En somme que reste-t-il?
Deux propositions qui ne me paraissent pas contestables. A Cambridge.
Eusapia pendant une serie de seances a fraude avec ses precedes connus.
Voila la premiere conclusion. Et voici la seconde. En mettant Eusapia
dans Vimpossibilite de frauder, pendant cette meme serie d'experiences de
Cambridge, Eusapia n'a pas pu produire un seul phenomene vrai.
Je crois que c'est tout, et qu'il n'y a pas davantage.
Eh bien ! II me parait qu'il est te'me'raire de conclure que tous les
phe'nomenes produits ou presumes produits par Eusapia sont faux. C'est
une conclusion qui ddpasse singulierement les premisses. On pourrait
ecrire bien des pages la-dessus ; mais je pense que 1'exp^rimentation vaut
mieux que la discussion. Je me contente done de faire remarquer :
1° que ces soi-disant fraudes ne s'appliquent qu'a un seul phenomene,
et que pour quantite d'autres faits, — mouvements de la table, lumieres,
levitations, ^criture directe, — aucune explication n'a pu etre donne"e. Meme
il parait prouve" que, malgre toute la perspicacite de M. Hodgson, (je ne
veux pas parler de la notre) on n'a jarnais pu de"celer le moindre instrument
et le plus petit appareil lui servant a aider ses manifestations.
2° que, dans toutes nos experiences anterieures, nous etions parfaitement
avertis de la possibilite d'une fraude, et que meme nous en connaissions
exactement la nature, de sorte que les revelations de M. Hodgson ne nous
ont absolument rien re"veie\
3° que certaines experiences anterieures ont ete de telle nature que nous
les avons, vous et moi, et O. Lodge, regardees comme detinitives, et ne
devant pas etre detruites par tout ce que nous pourrions decouvrir plus tard.
4° que souvent, sous des influences morales et psychologiques dont la
nature nous echappe, pendant un tres long temps Eusapia est incapable de
pouvoir exercer une action vrai quelconque, et que peut-etre, a Cambridge,
elle s'est trouvee dans ces conditions.
5° que, dans des experiences faites en France, peu de temps apres celles
180 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC. ,1895.
de Cambridge, des savants d'intelligence certaine et d'honorabilite" irre'proch-
able ont eu des phe"nomenes tres nets qui ne leur ont pas Iaiss4 le droit de
douter.
6° que, malgre" les apparences qui sont en effet souvent centre Eusapia,
je ne suis fixe" en aucune maniere sur ce que j'ai appele j usque ici fraude, et
qu'il est tres possible, que dans 1'etat de trance, ou dans les e"tats voisins, la
psychologie d'un medium soit tres difFe"rente de la notre.
Tous ces points pourraient etre discutes longuement ; mais j'ai hate de
conclure, et voici ma conclusion ; c'est qu'il faut reserver son jugement.
C'est ce que j'avais fait apres les experiences de Milan ; c'est ce que
j'avais fait apres les experiences de Rome ; c'est ce que j'avais fait aussi
apres les experiences de File Roubaud, qui vous avaient cependant paru si
de"cisives, ainsi qu'a O. Lodge. Je n'avais rien voulu publier ; car, pour
etre certain dans cet ordre de faits inexplicables et absurdes, il faut etre mille
fois certain ; et je n'ai pu jamais arriver a cette certitude absolue qui me
parait necessaire.
Mais, de meme que nous avions suspendu notre jugement, quand il
s'agissait d'une preuve positive, de rneme il me parait sage et Equitable de le
suspendre aujourd'hui, quand il s'agit de tout nier.
Supposons que nous soyions des juges, pene"tr£s de la dignite de notre
mission et de la responsabilite qui pese sur nous. Oserioiis nous accuser ?
Non, et cent fois non. Nous dernanderions un supplement d'informations,
et une enquete nouvelle, plus longue, plus approfondie. Or des savants qui
cherchent la verite" sont vraiment des juges.
J'en conclus qu'il n'y a encore rien de demontre", ni dans un sens, ni dans
1'autre, et qu'il faut courageusement poursuivre la recherche ; et experi-
menter encore. CHARLES RICHET.
NOTICE.
We have been asked by Mr. F. W. Thurstan, an Associate of the Society,
to state that he is inaugurating a series of weekly reunions at Hertford
Lodge, Albert Bridge, Battersea Park, S.W., to be held under his own
direction, for the development of thought-reading, clairvoyance, automatic
writing and cognate faculties. The object in view is not the investigation
of phenomena, but experimental research regarding the best methods of
psychic evolution and education. The number admitted at each reunion
will be limited to eight or ten persons at the most. There will be no fees or
charges made, but a distinct avowal in writing will be required from every
applicant admitted as to the precise purpose for which admittance is desired.
Applicants will be admitted only for the following purposes : — (1) Desire for
development in the special line of education for which the meeting assembles.
(2) Readiness to assist the development of others by spiritual sympathy,
power, and experience. (3) Assistance to the director in the recording of
facts and the suggestion of new lines of experiment.
Applications should be made to F. W. Thurstan, Esq., Hertford Lodge,
Albert Bridge, Battersea Park, S.W.
No. CXXV.— VOL. VII. JANUARY, 1896.
JOURNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
181
181
182
187
.. .. ..188
NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.
Names of Members are printed in Black Type.
Names of Associates are printed in SMALL CAPITALS.
BAGGALLY, WORTLEY W., 23, Lower Phillimore-place, Kensington, W.
BARKLY, MRS., Hampton Court Palace, near London.
ELAINE, Miss H. G. DELABERE, 129, Cromwell-road, London, S.W.
BRYANT, A. C., B. A., 5, Dagmar-terrace, Alexandra-park, Wood Green, N.
IRELAND, WM. W., M.D. (Edin.), Mavisbush, Polton, Midlothian, N.B.
LUXMOORE, Miss, Bryn Asaph, St. Asaph, North Wales.
OGILVIE, Mfis.,c/oDr. Ogilvie, H.M. Chief Inspector of Schools, Glasgow.
Roome, Henry A., J.P., Oudenarde, Victoria-road, Southsea.
VAN GRUISEN, MRS. A. H., Alcira, Bidston-road, Oxton, Cheshire.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
COOKE, DR. JOSEPH B., 269, West 138th-street, New York, N.Y.
HOUSEHOLDER, FRANK, Kansas City Stock Yards, Kansas City, Mo.
James, Dr. H. F., 2,627, Olive street, Mo.
Kimball, Miss Hannah P., 325, Commonwealth-ave., Boston, Mass.
PRESCOTT, Miss, 78, Commonwealth-avenue, Boston, Mass.
SMITH, HORACE J., 6, East Penn., German Town, Pa.
TRACEY, DR. PAUL H., 469, West 152nd-street, New York, N.Y.
WILSON, Miss MARTHA, 564, Dearborn-avenue, Chicago, 111.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A Meeting of the Council was held on December 6th, at the
Westminster Town Hall. In the absence of the President, Professor
182 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1896.
Sidgwick took the chair. There were also present : — Dr. A. Wallace,
and Messrs. F. W. H. Myers, F. Podmore, Sydney C. Scott, and
R. Pearsall Smith.
The minutes of the last Meeting were read and signed as correct.
In accordance with Article 27, the following were co-opted as
Members of the Council for the ensuing year : — The Right Hon.
G. W. Balfour, M.P., Mr. Thos. Barkworth, Dr. A. W. Barrett, Dr.
J. Milne Bramwell, the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, K.T., F.R.S.,
Mr. Registrar Hood, Dr. G. F. Rogers, Mr. Sydney C. Scott, and Dr.
Abraham Wallace.
One new Member and eight new Associates, whose names and
addresses are given above, were elected. The election of two new
Members and six new Associates of the American Branch was
recorded.
The Council recorded with regret the decease of the Countess of
Caithness, Duchesse de Pomar, a Member of the Society.
The resignation of three Members and thirteen Associates, who
from various causes desired to withdraw from the Society at the end
of the year, was accepted.
Some presents to the Library were reported, and a vote of thanks
to the donors passed.
Arrangements were made for holding General Meetings, at the
Westminster Town Hall, subsequent to the one already fixed for
Friday, January 31st, on Friday, March 13th, at 8.30 p.m., and on
Friday, April 24th, at 4 p.m.
Mr. Arthur Miall, of the firm of Messrs. Miall, Wilkins, Randall
and Co., 23, St. Swithin's Lane, London, E.C., was appointed Auditor
for the ensuing year.
Various other matters of business having been attended to, the
Council agreed that its next Meeting should be on Friday, January
31st, at 3 p.m., at the Westminster Town Hall, previous to the
General Meeting arranged for that day at 4 p.m.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 76th General Meeting of the Society was held at the
Westminster Town Hall on Friday, December 6th, at 4 p.m., Professor
Sidgwick in the chair.
" Miss X." read a second provisional account of an " Enquiry into
Second Sight in the Highlands," being a further part of the paper of
which an abstract was printed in the Journal for January, 1895.
JAN., 1896.] General Meeting.
" Miss X." began by reminding her hearers of the conditions under
which the " Enquiry into Second Sight in the Highlands" had been
undertaken. The Schedule of Enquiry which had been issued through
the liberality of the Marquis of Bute in 1893-4 had for various
reasons failed to elicit much information, except as to the widespread
recognition of the difficulties of an enquiry into a subject upon which,
by heredity, tradition, and religious opinion, the Highlanders were
naturally reticent.
In 1894, by request of the Council, " Miss X." had undertaken to
visit personally such parts of the Highlands as seemed to open a
promising field for investigation. The task had proved considerably
more laborious than she had expected, as it involved, not only
•difficult travelling into unfrequented districts, but a great amount of
writing and correspondence. It was, however, an enquiry in which,
personally, she felt a very special interest, and she was glad to emulate
in some degree the zeal and industry of which, in the cause of the
Society, Mrs. Sidgwick and Mr. Myers had for so many years set so
•eminent an example. (Applause.)
In presenting a second ad interim report, "Miss X." desired, in the
first place, to emphasize the fact that a second visit to the Highlands,
which had taken her to districts even more remote than before,
had tended to establish the preliminary deductions which she had
presented to the Society a year ago. The evidence had increased in
quantity, but had not changed in kind. The special faculty of the
Highland Seer seemed to be that of premonition. Other occult gifts
alleged to exist among Seers elsewhere, were not to be found among
Highlanders. She had found no trace of the faculty of retrocognition
by psychometry or other methods ; no traditions of supernormal
healing powers, except in the case of "The Evil Eye"; no belief in
anything at all resembling "Spirit Controls"; no "physical pheno-
mena," except what seem to be remains of the commonly recognised
folk-lore story of the stone-throwing ghost. Some stories of levitation
which she had heard in one district of the far north lacked evidence, —
as yet. There were, moreover, no instances to which the people seemed
to attach importance of persistent hauntings, though many had reached
her of the reported return of some recently deceased person for a
purpose, which purpose accomplished, the apparition was seen no more.
Many of the stories might be fairly explained by the hypothesis of
Thought- Transference, and the Highlanders themselves seemed aware of
its possibilities, as for example, in cases, of which she had heard mai^yf ' ^
where a doctor, or priest, or minister, was aware, in advance, a&ibp +?^. ^m <j
approach of a summons to the sick. She had found, moreover, few traces
ONTARIO
184 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1896^.
of the use of any empirical methods, and the general belief seemed to be-
strongly in favour of spontaneous phenomena, dependent, " Miss X.'r
was inclined to believe, mainly on the vividness of the Highlander's,
faculty of visualisation. The phenomena seemed to be externalised
almost entirely in terms of sight, generally of pictures, a few stories
being current of supernormal sounds, or of verbal communications.
Indeed where such communications were alleged, it was very difficult
to get at their nature, as there was a specially strong feeling among
the Highlanders as to disclosing a message of this sort. " Miss X.'r
was able, however, to quote one well- authenticated case in which a girl
had been visited by the shade of a lover who had been drowned at sea,
and whose effects, including a present for herself, had been appro-
priated by one of his companions. She received instructions as to its-
nature and whereabouts, and it was ultimately recovered.
" Miss X.," while acknowledging to the utmost the importance of
obtaining evidence as exact as possible, and feeling strongly that the
testimony of independent witnesses should be secured at any cost of
time and trouble, had nevertheless not rejected every case in which
such evidence was not forthcoming. There were many instances in
which the internal evidence was promising, and which she had received!
on the authority of trustworthy persons, which she could not but feel
to be useful and valuable from their analogies or inherent sugges-
tiveness, though they might be imperfect in the matter of names and'
dates and outside testimony.
The question of evidence was, naturally, the laborious and tedious
part of the enquiry, as it was its ultimate object. " Miss X." had
been happy in securing help and sympathy in her work among all
classes in the Highlands, and by one means or another had never been
refused a first-hand narrative from any Seer she had been fortunate
enough to discover. The real difficulty began with the attempt to-
substantiate that narrative ! Highland reticence, Highland indifference
to method and system, Highland repudiation of meddling with a
neighbour's affairs, might be overcome, but to extract from a people,
apparently destitute of the sense of time, and having few events from
which to date occurrences, dates more exact than " thereafter " or
" heretofore," is a labour demanding all possible tact and patience, and
somewhat discouraging in its issues. At the same time "Miss X."
could not but feel some degree of confidence in the narratives of a
people, not only simple and truthful in character and habit, but whose
temptation in the present instance, — superstition apart — would be to-
minimise, rather than exaggerate, the supernormal in their experiences,,
the gift being considered, as a rule, not one to be boasted of.
JAN., 1896.] General Meeting. 185
" Miss X." believed that not the least important part of her work
this year had been the importation of others into the enquiry. She
had lost no opportunity of interesting, wherever possible, all educated
residents in the Islands and Highlands with whom she had been brought
in contact, feeling that their relation with the peasantry and the con-
tinuity of their life among them would do more to achieve the purposes
of the investigation than any unaided efforts of her own. She had
received everywhere the utmost kindness, courtesy and hospitality,
and she reflected with the greatest satisfaction that in most of the
places she had visited she had left behind some interested enquirer,
still working for the good of Psychical Research.
It was needless to say that to know the Highlander one must seek
him on his native heath. The average Gillie of the Englishman's
shooting-box is no more representative of the uncontaminated Gael
than is the foreign waiter at a fashionable hotel a genuine type of the
German or the Swiss. She had, therefore, sought out the most remote
spots accessible, avoiding the tourist and everything adapted to his
use. She had gleaned her information from the fisher-man in his
herring-boat, and the travelling " merchant " in his gig, in the black-
smith's forge, and the manse kitchen ; she had received help and
hospitality from the Roman priest and the Presbyterian minister,
from the laird, the police, and the poor-house official.
"Miss X." found that the natives differentiated at least three kinds
of Second-Sight, the Gaelic names for which might be rendered as (1)
Second-Sight (proper), (2) Sight by " wish," and (3) Sight by " vision,"
or, as we should perhaps say — (1) visualised clairvoyance or premonition,
(2) experimental clairvoyance, and (3) symbolic vision ; and she pro-
ceeded to give examples of each of the three kinds. A large proportion
of the cases which had come under her notice were concerned with
prophecies, direct or indirect, of death, and in many instances lost some-
thing of their significance when the local colour was lacking, or the local
allusions imperfectly understood. Many of the prophecies, for example,
bore upon the difficulty of procuring wood for a coffin in islands where
trees are unknown, or the necessary labour difficult to obtain where
craftsmen were few.
MR. F. W. H. MYERS asked, in reference to a story quoted by " Miss
X.", in which an effort had been vainly made to avert the fulfilment of
a prediction, whether she had met with many cases where such efforts
had been made in vain.
" Miss X." replied that other cases had reached her, generally of
effort on the part of some one who had a grudge against the Seer, and
she believed that such efforts had invariably failed.
186 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1896.
MR. MYERS also enquired whether " Miss X." had discovered by
popular talk, or the possible jealousy of a brother Seer, whether Seers
often or ever made predictions which were not fulfilled.
" Miss X." replied that she had met with, and carefully noted,
certain cases in which the predictions were as yet unfulfilled, but very
few in which they had been falsified. The Seers for the most part
were hard-working folk, to whom such premonitions occurred spon-
taneously, often at wide intervals. She had met with but one Seer
who might be described as " professional." Not, of course, that he
degraded his gift by receiving money for its use, but that he, in some
degree, professed to have it at command. His powers, however, were
not greatly esteemed by those best acquainted with his character.
A Highland lady endorsed "Miss X.'s" conclusions from her
personal acquaintance with the subject, and asked whether she had
ever found such Seers as had met with an apparition willing to repeat
the message they had received.
" Miss X." answered that in most cases she found that they refused
to tell any one what they had heard, believing such communication to-
be unlucky.
DR. WALLACE said that he had followed " Miss X." in lona, and
had communicated to a native his speculation as to the success of her
inquiry in that island. The reply had been that she very likely had
succeeded, as " they were as good liars in that island as in any
other."
" Miss X." replied that she thought that, owing to their contamina-
tion by English and Lowland tourists, they were probably better than
in any other !
THE REV. C. LACH-SZYRMA asked whether the intimations came-
through sight or hearing.
" Miss X." said that they appeared to be almost entirely visual,,
but auditory cases were occasionally reported.
DR. KINGSTON asked whether there was any evidence of the
supposed communication of visions through personal contact with the
Seer.
" Miss X." replied that she was not aware of any authenticated
case of the kind.
PROFESSOR SIDGWICK cordially thanked " Miss X." for her workr
and for her interesting report upon its latest development.
MR. F. W. H. MYERS then read a case from his paper on " The
Subliminal Self," which has since appeared in the Proceedings, Part
XXIX.
JAN., 1890.] Hypnotism as an Anaesthetic. 187
HYPNOTISM AS AN ANESTHETIC.
A recent case of an operation performed under hypnotism was
reported to us a short time ago by Mr. A. W. Dobbie, of Gawler Place,
Adelaide, whose experiments in the subject of clairvoyance are familiar
to readers of the Proceedings and Journal. The operator was Mr.
R. S. Rogers, M.D., of Finders-street, Adelaide, now an Associate of
the Society. We quote the newspaper account sent by Mr, Dobbie.
From The Advertiser.
Adelaide, April 29th, 1895.
A doctor in this city who has for some time made a study of hypnotism,
and has carried out many successful experiments, resolved to operate on one
of his patients who was suffering from tumour in the breast, provided he
could gain her consent. The lady operated upon had been several times
hypnotised by the doctor, who had proved that whilst under the influence
she was quite insensible to pain. Even after having needles thrust into her
arm, she suffered no pain when told that she was not to feel any. Having
obtained the consent of the patient and her husband to the operation being
performed under hypnotic influence, Sunday afternoon was fixed for the
experiment. Before proceeding further, it may be mentioned that the
patient is of a very nervous disposion, and as it was feared that this fact
might to some extent interfere with the success of the experiment, post-
hypnotic suggestion was resorted to in order to remove this obstacle. The
patient, when under hypnotic influence earlier in the week, was told that
when she entered the operating-room she would see all the surgical instruments
to be used in the operation laid out on the table, but she was not to notice
these or to be made nervous by the presence of strangers, but to take her
place on the operating table as soon as she entered the room. She came
into the room without showing the slightest sign of nervousness, advanced
to the operating table, and took up a position on it, apparently quite un-
concerned. She was then ordered to go to sleep for three-quarters of an
hour, and to feel no pain. Prior to commencing the use of the knife, the
doctor repeatedly told the patient that she was to feel no pain. "No pain,
absolutely no pain," were the words repeatedly used to the patient, who lay
in a tranquil sleep with a smile on her face. The operation was speedily
performed, the tumour removed, and the cut sewn up with several stitches,
the patient to all appearance suffering "absolutely no pain." After the
operation had been performed, our representative had a conversation with
the lady, who assured him that she felt no pain while unC^r the operation,
and was also absolutely free from pain then, which could readily be believed
when one looked at her smiling face and heard her merry laugh, as she
spoke of her absolute ignorance of anything having happened to hurt her, so
far as her feelings would allow her to judge. The fact of her suffering no
pain after the operation is due, the doctor states, to post-hypnotic suggestion,
as he told her while under the influence that she was to feel no pain during
188 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1896.
the operation or afterwards. This is the first operation of this nature per-
formed in Adelaide, and that it was eminently successful all who witnessed
it admitted.
Mr. Dobbie writes in reference to the above account : —
Adelaide, May 8th, 1895.
I enclose a clipping from one of our leading papers which gives a correct
account of what took place. I was present during the whole of the operation,
which took place on the Sunday afternoon at 3. 15 p. m., and on Tuesday morn-
ing, at 11 o'clock, I went with the doctor to the lady's house and saw him take
the stitches out, the wound having healed with unusual speed. The lady in-
formed me that she had suffered no pain from first to last. Whilst the doctor
was taking the stitches out, I noticed that the lady seemed to be in pain, and
on asking her if such was the case, she said "yes." I then suggested to Dr.
Rogers to make a pass or two over the wound, and tell her that she would feel
no further pain during the removal of the stitches and during final healing.
He did so without putting the lady to sleep, and the result was perfect ease
to the patient.
A. W. DOBBIE.
P.S. — I have just telephoned to Dr. Hogers, asking him how the lady was
progressing, and his reply is that the case has been all that could be desired ;
in fact, he has not thought it necessary to visit her this week.
CASES.
G. 250. Dream.
The following case was sent to us from Brazil by Professor A.
Alexander. We print his translations of the original documents, also
sent. He informs us that the incident is " of a type rather frequent
among Brazilian Catholics," and says : —
July 23rd, 1895.
It occurred at Barbacena in Minas Gernes. The family in which it
occurred is well known to me, and I have no doubt that the statements
furnished to me by them are quite worthy of credence. Donna Guilhermina
Nery has signed the deposition drawn up by me in the usual way. She is a
middle-aged lady of a rather nervous temperament, and since the fact
narrated, she has had a non-coincidental visual and tactile hallucination,
following shortly after the death of a favourite son.
It will be observed that the incident of the votive candle was one
very likely to be introduced into a dream under the circumstances
described, but there seems no antecedent probability that Donna Nery
should have dreamt of the exact place where the candle was to be
found and of its having been already partly burnt.
JAN., 1896.] Cases. 189
Her account is as follows : —
Barbacena, March 26th, 1895.
In January, 1894, the decease occurred of Fe'licite' G. , a young Belgian
lady, who was married to a nephew of mine. After the death of his wife,
the latter came to our house at Barbacena, bringing with him much luggage
belonging to the deceased, and he stayed here with his children for some days.
Some two months afterwards — I have no means of ascertaining the exact
date — I went to a soiree and returned home about 2 o'clock in the morning,
having passed some pleasant hours in which all thoughts of sadness were
temporarily swept from my memory. On that very night, however, I had a
vivid dream of FeUicite". It seemed to me that she entered the room where
I really lay asleep, and, sitting down on the bedside, asked me, as a favour,
to look into an old tin box under the staircase for a certain wax candle,
which had been already lighted, and which she had promised to Our Lady.
On my consenting to do so, she took leave of me, saying, "Ate" o outro
mundo (Till the other world)."* I awoke from the dream much impressed.
It was still dark, but I could no longer sleep.
On that day, the others having gone out, I called a servant and ordered
her to search in the tin box, which had, in fact, been placed under the stair-
case, and which had belonged to Fe"licite". No one had opened the box
before. It was full of old clothes and cuttings, among which it was by no
means probable that we should find a wax candle. The servant turned over
these clothes, at first without result, and I was already beginning to think
that my dream was of no importance, when, on straightening out the
clothes so that the box might be closed, I saw the end of a candle, which I
at once ordered her to take out. It was of wax — of the kind used for
promises [to saints] — and, what was a still more singular coincidence, it had
already been lighted.
We delivered the candle to Monsenhor Jose" Augusto, of Barbacena, in
performance of my niece's pious vow thus curiously revealed in a dream.
(Signed) GUILHERMINA NERY.
Senhor Nery writes : —
Barbacena, March 26th, 1895.
I recollect that, on the occasion, my wife told me of the dream, much
impressed by it. It is exactly what is written.
(Signed) DOMINGOS NERY.
Professor Alexander adds : —
At my request, Catharina, the servant referred to in the above account,
was called to be examined. I found that she was a mere child. On being
questioned, she confirmed the narrative of her mistress, and recollected the
circumstance of finding the wax candle in the tin box.
Jose", a black boy, declared that he carried the candle to Monsenhor Jose"
Augusto, who told him to give it to the sacristan.
A. ALEXANDER.
* "Till soon," "Till to-morrow," "Till the return," etc., are the expressions
generally used in Brazilian leave-taking. — A. A.
190 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1896.
M. 94. Thought-transference.
Our readers may remember a case of apparent thought-transference
occurring during a stance with the " medium " Williams, an account of
which was given by the Rev. W. S. Grignon in a letter printed in the
Journal for last October.
The following is a somewhat similar case experienced by Mr.
Grignon, the account being based on notes taken at the time.
Mr. Grignon writes to Mr. Myers : —
Essendon, Hatfield, Herts. November 19th, 1895.
[I] send you an early experience of mine with the then well-known
mediums — the Marshalls. It seems to indicate, as the other did, the sudden
flashing out of something genuinely supernormal in the midst of much that
was very worthless. My brother-in-law and I, at some time early in the
seventies, resolved to have a stance with them, got their address — some-
where near Maida Hill — from a directory, called one afternoon without having
made an appointment, and without giving our names were at once ushered
in to Mrs. Marshall, senior, and her daughter-in-law, who acted as medium on
this occasion. No other person was present. We were both entire strangers
to them, and I had carefully avoided clerical costume. Communications,
were by raps and the alphabet, results eminently unsatisfactory. There was
nothing to prove fraud, much to suggest it. When a spirit professing to be
my mother refused absolutely to give her surname, married or maiden,
obviously fished for her Christian name, and had nothing to say to me except,
" Try to have faith," naturally I had less faith than before. All communica-
tions were scrappy and trivial, all might have proceeded from the medium.
Suddenly, in the midst of some trashy talk, came a different kind of rap.
Mrs. M., jun. : "Is this another spirit?" "Yes." "Do you wish to
speak with this gentleman?" (pointing to me). "Yes." Then I, "Will
you give your name ?'' "Emma Scott." "I never knew any one of that
name. Did I ever see you?" "No, I saw you." "How long ago?"
"23 years." "Where?" "In London." "London is a large place.
Where in London ? " "Brook-street." " Can you give me the name of the
person in whose house you saw me ? " " Varsitt." This was spelled out with
much effort and was apparently incomplete. The medium here suggested
that I should write down several names, including that of my friend in Brook-
street, and said that raps would come when the right name was written.
Knowing that mediums were said to judge when to rap by watching the
hand and eye of the writer, I placed myself so as to conceal both, chose
mentally before beginning several names of equal length and wrote them
down slowly with mechanical precision. At the fifth name, " Vansittart, "
came a shower of raps. Only once in my life had I entered a house in
Brook-street, Grosvenor-square, and that was when, just twenty-three years
before, I spent two or three days with my friend, the late Augustus Arthur
Vansittart, in a house which with a considerable fortune had been left to him
by his aunt then lately deceased. Dialogue resumed. " Were you a servant
JAN., 1896.] Cases. 191
in the house?" "Not exactly." "Can you tell me where I first became
acquainted with this gentleman?" The word "Trinity "was spelled out.
The medium, evidently taking it as a theological term, exclaimed, " Oh,
don't say such things. We don't like them." (The spirits did, I believe,
now and then indulge in a little blasphemy.) I said, "That will do. I
understand," but explained nothing. In fact I had formed Vansittart's
acquaintance when we were both scholars of Trinity College, Cambridge, and,
I think, at the scholars' table. I wrote to him at once to ask if he
remembered any Emma Scott in his house. He replied that he did not, but.
that his housekeeper (he was living en gargoii) engaged and dismissed the
female servants without consulting him, so that it was a chance if he knew
their names or their faces. Of course, also, the housekeeper might have had
visitors of her own. I can only add that the Marshalls had no conceivable
reason for connecting me with either University ; still less, if possible, for
assigning me to Cambridge and to Trinity College, and chat during this part,
at all events, of the seance, neither of them asked any prying question, if
indeed they did so at all. Old Mrs. Marshall was, I believe, the widow of a
small tradesman at the east end of London, and neither she nor her
daughter-in-law seemed to have risen intellectually or socially above their
original position. They were very unlikely to be familiar with the university
way of using the names of colleges. Even had the medium guessed my
profession and antecedents, she would probably have tried " Cambridge
College " or " Oxford College," and so possibly felt her way on. I must say
that the directness of the simple " Trinity " did impress me a good deal.
WM. S. GRIGNON.
Mr. Grignon writes later : —
November 2Srd, 1895.
In sending you the case, I omitted to add that my account of it was based
partly on my very distinct recollection of the occurrences, partly on the
notes, if they can be so-called, taken at the time, i.e., on the words of the
communications taken down by me, letter by letter, as the alphabet was
repeated. These papers I brought away from the Marshalls' house, but
afterwards, as I thought, destroyed. However, a few months ago they — or
some of them — turned up among some other papers connected with the
subject, and the fact that by them I could both test and refresh my memory
was one reason I had for sending the case.
W. S. GRIGNON.
M. 95. Crystal- vision.
The next case comes to us through Mr. C. E. Campbell, of Trinity
Hall, Cambridge, an Associate of the S.P.R., who writes : —
January 5th, 1895 .
The enclosed letters are the result of a conversation which I had last
September with their writer, Mr. R , a professional man in a responsible
position, of acknowledged capability and good faith. The account which I
enclose is unfortunately weak evidentially, as the seer has lately been strictly
192 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1896.
forbidden by those whom he dare not disobey to have anything to do with
the crystal, so that he will not sign his name to vouch for the accuracy of the
report, though acknowledging that it is correct. rj -g CAMPBELL
The following is Mr. R.'s letter to Mr. Campbell, describing the
vision :— November 12th, 1894.
DEAR MR. CAMPBELL, — One afternoon, at least two, if not three days
prior to the bombardment of Alexandria,* during the last Egyptian war, the
crystal was "charged " and placed before a man who had not previously seen
one, nor had he any knowledge of its use. This was done with a view to
ascertaining whether he had "the power of sight."
The subject was in no way suggested to him, but it was one he could not
misunderstand. After looking intently into the crystal for a short time, he
became somewhat startled, took it up and carefully examined it, then asked
how what he saw had been inserted. Being asked what he saw, he described
a matter affecting his household — recognising his wife, etc.
With this proof of his power, the subject was changed to that of the
Egyptian war ; but no words were spoken by which he could form the
slightest idea of what he might see next, nor could it in any other way be
suggested to him, as it affected the future only. Again looking intently into
the crystal, he described the (active) bombardment of Alexandria ; the fire at
Rao-en-tin palace, its surroundings ; battle of Tel-el-Kebir and large number
of prisoners ; march of the British troops to Cairo ; imprisonment of Arabi ; —
describing, in his own language, a lot of scenes, including allegorical details
which were easily understood.
I may add that the same man, turning over a portfolio of photographs
quite recently, exclaimed, "I should know that place — I have seen it before —
yes, in the crystal. " It was a view of Cairo, but he had never been there,
nor, so far as he recollected, ever saw a picture of it before.
Mr. Campbell proceeds : —
With regard to the " charging " of the crystal, I should say that this
consists in offering up a traditional incantation or prayer that the crystal
may show a vision of the particular events which it is desired to see. On
receipt of this letter, I wrote back asking whether the "charging " was done
silently, whether Mr. R. was likely to have transferred a particular picture in
his own mind to that of the seer, and one or two other questions. As the
" charging " was done silently, nothing less than telepathy of possible
subliminal images will account for the visions, for the seer himself was an
ignorant man, whose astonishment at seeing the minarets at one point (as
Mr. R. told me in conversation) was extreme ; he had no idea what they
were, and was at loss how to describe them. He certainly could not have
evolved such pictures of the war as he obtained from any personal knowledge.
Mr. R. himself does not consider the case one of thought-transference, for
he was greatly surprised at many of the events depicted, as for instance, the
taking prisoner of Arabi, whom he expected to be killed.
* The bombardment of Alexandria took place in July, 1882.
JAN., 1896.] Cases. 193
Mr. K. writes further : —
December Wth, 1894.
DEAR MR. CAMPBELL, — I deferred replying to your former letter in the
hope that I might induce the man referred to to verify what he saw. He
admits the accuracy of my statement, but is evidently afraid to sign any
document. He was forbidden to have anything to do with the crystal, and it
is quite evident he dare not disobey.
In reply to your queries, I may say I told the man nothing, nor had I in
my mind any idea of what he might see, and I am sure he had not. What I
desired or asked for was done silently. The first was more as a test, and his
amazement was when he saw his own wife in his own house. I may add that
there was something more — a shadow of another person somewhat elevated
behind her (she had been married before), but as I thought this might
frighten him, I took the crystal from him and changed the subject to what I
afterwards gave you the description of.
L. 996. Thought-transference.
The following case, which comes to us through the American
branch of the Society, may be compared with Mrs. Monro's experience
of hearing a bell ring when her friend was wishing to ring her bell (see
Journal S.P.R. for November, p. 162), but is an instance of a more
definitely experimental kind.
The agent, Mrs. Lee, writes : —
Shrewsbury, Mass. December 'Jth, 1891.
An interesting experiment I tried last winter. A friend of sensitive
temperament occupied a room (in a foreign country) next my own. The
connecting door between the two was closed. The lady was writing (as she
afterwards told me). Wishing to see her, I intended to go to her, but as I
was comfortably resting on the lounge, I met the recalcitrant disposition to
move with the mental question, " How long will we be slaves to matter,
time and space?" Whereupon it occurred to me to exert a strong mental
effort instead of a slight physical one. In about five minutes it proved
successful ! I heard steps approaching the door. To my summons in
response to her rap, she opened the door, " Did you call me ? I was under
the impression that you did, but was not sure I heard you." I explained.
My friend replied that she was conscious of me a moment or two before she
put down her pen to come to me.
MARY HOLLAND LEE.
In answer to Dr. Hodgson's request for a corroborative statement
from the lady on whom the experiment was tried, Mrs. Lee wrote : —
August 22nd, 1893.
The answer to your letter I delayed until I heard from Miss S. I wrote
to her to make a statement of the telepathic experiment between us when
at Mentone, France. I enclose her letter.
194 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 18%.
The letter enclosed was as follows : —
DEAR MRS. LEE, — I do remember the time of which you speak, when we
were in Mentone, and you drew me to you by a little mental telepathy. I
think I was writing to E. D. in my room, which adjoined yours. Suddenly
my train of thought was broken into by a feeling that I must go to you. I
felt that you needed me for something, without stopping to think what that
something might be. But I knew that some invisible power had hold of me,
calling me. I then stepped to your door, and asked you if you had spoken
or if you wanted anything, and you immediately told me that it was but an
experiment on your part to prove the power of mind over matter. It was
certainly successful that time and has been at other times, when we have
been separated by miles of distance.
(Signed) E S , [full name given].
No details were given as to the other experiments referred to by
Miss S., but a similar experiment tried by Mrs. Lee in the case of
another friend, Mrs. Chenoweth, was related by the latter in the
Medico-Legal Journal, Vol. L, No. 3, June, 1893, as follows. —
A lady whom I shall call Mrs. L., my friend since my own girlhood, and,
with myself, a member of the American Branch of the London Society for
Psychical Research, had a trifling experiment in telepathy with me in the
month of August, 1892, which was so simple and successful that it seems
worth telling.
We spent the summer in a charming New England village ; I living near
the top of a long hill, and she half way down, the houses of both facing
upon the one broad avenue which makes the main street of the village.
We saw one another daily, but on the day in August above referred to,
the date of which is mislaid, we had passed hours together, and parted near
six o'clock in the afternoon, when I went home to tea, averring laughingly
at parting that it could not be promised when I should come again, since we
could surely think of nothing more to say to one another for days.
At nine o'clock that evening I found my thoughts turning with strange
persistence toward Mrs. L. It seemed to me that she was in need of me,
and I felt impelled to go to her. In vain I argued that if it were a matter of
importance she would come to me, or send for me. The silent call continued.
After the lapse of half-an-hour I turned fco a friend, and asked if she felt
able to walk down to Mrs. L.'s with me, reluctantly asking, as she was
suffering somewhat from a lame foot. She was incredulous, and repeated to
me my own assertion that I probably should not go down there again within
a week. At last I said emphatically, " It is, indeed, very strange, but I can
no longer resist the inclination to go and see if anything is wrong with
Mrs. L."
My friend accompanied me, with some effort. It was now half-past nine
o'clock. We found Mrs. L. sitting on the piazza alone, in the moonlight.
She cried out to me delightedly upon hearing my footsteps : " I have
spent full half-an-hour calling to you to come." Q yAN j) CHENOWETH
JAN., 1896.] Cases. 195
Mrs. Lee adds : —
This instance occurred as herein stated, verbatim et literatim.
MRS. MARY HOLLAND LEE.
The lady who accompanied Mrs. Chenoweth to Mrs. Lee's house
on this occasion, writes to Dr. Hodgson : —
Jidy 25th, 1894.
I perfectly recall the circumstance referred to in the little sketches sent
you by Mrs. Chenoweth and Mrs. Lee. I Avalked down with Mrs. Chenoweth
to Mrs. Lee's house and heard Mrs. Lee say that she had spent half-an-hour
in "willing " the visit.
It is much to be desired that experiments of this type should be
repeated by persons who have any ground for believing that they
possess the faculty of mentally suggesting actions to others at a dis-
tance. To make such experiments of real value as evidence for
telepathy, however, it is, of course, essential that notes should be made
of them before it is known whether they have succeeded or not, and
that all the trials made should be recorded.
L. 997. Impressions.
The following case came to Dr. Hodgson through the collection
for the Census of Hallucinations in America. It was sent to him by
Mrs. F. P. Mchols, of 211, St. James-place, Brooklyn, in a letter
dated April 2nd, 1893.
343, Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y.
[At] New Orleans, January, 1885, 11.30 a.m., I felt a queer sensation pass
through me, almost as violent as an electric shock, and at the same time I
became aware that my husband, who was about four miles away, had just
lost his pocket-book, containing considerable money.
I was enjoying unusually good health that winter. I was riding in a
street-car, thinking intently about a call that I was on my way to make.
The car was full of people, all strangers to me.
Three years previous to the above experience, while trying on a new-
dress at the dressmaker's, I felt that my father's store was being robbed.
Going there as quickly as I could, found out that it was exactly as I had felt
about it.
I looked at my watch to note the hour that I felt the queer feeling about
my husband's pocket-book, and he said that was the exact time when he first
missed it.
ANNE C. GOATEII.
The following letter from Mrs. Goater, in answer to Dr. Hodgson's
inquiries, gives further details of the two experiences referred to.
196 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JAN., 1896.
343, Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, April 22nd, 1893.
DEAR SIR, — This is the first opportunity I have had to reply to your
favour of the 8th inst. Mr. Goater desires me to say that he first became
aware that he had lost his pocket-book when he went to pay for his lunch.
He is positive that the hour was between 11.30 and 12 m., as he wished to
avoid the crowd at noon, while my watch indicated 11.30 when I received
the impression that something was wrong with his pocket-book. He says he
is quite sure that he did not think of me in any way at the time, but I have
always felt that he must have done so unconsciously.
I have always taken charge of his money affairs for him, and one of the
impressions I had at the time was, that he was very much annoyed with me for
not having removed some of the money from his pocket-book, as I was in
the habit of doing, when it exceeded a certain amount ; that he in some way
held me responsible for his having lost so much money (there was over 100>
dollars in his pocket-book at the time).
As regards the robbery at my father's store, I told both the dressmaker
and my father at least an hour or two before it was found out. The dress-
maker, when I mentioned my impression to her, was so incredulous that she
said, to satisfy herself, she would go with me to my father's place of business^
which was only a few squares away. We found my father there alone. I at once
told him the strange feeling I had, and was very much relieved to hear him
say that I had been mistaken, as he was not aware that any robbery had
taken place, while everything about the store looked as usual. They both
laughed at me for trying to pose as a clairvoyant, as they expressed it, and
in a few moments the dressmaker left, saying she had had her walk for
nothing. I remained at the store with my father until the time for closing
up, an hour or so later. No one had come in during this time. Father then
going to a corner of the store to turn off the gas, discovered at once that
two pieces of cloth that he had been showing earlier in the evening were
missing. He then recalled two strangers who had been in about the time I
was at the dressmaker's. One had engaged him in conversation on business
matters, while the other had remained standing near that corner. He most
likely sneaked off with the cloth.
Unfortunately I do not know what has become of the dressmaker, but my
father is still living, and can verify my statement.
ANNE C. GOATER.
The following corroborative notes were received from Mrs. Goater's.
husband and father.
[Enclosed in letter dated May 27th, 1893.]
The statement Mrs. Goater has made as regards the loss of my pocket-
book in New Orleans some years ago is quite correct.
WALTER P. GOATER.
My daughter's statement as regards the loss of some cloth at my place of
business is entirely correct.
J. S. CARR.
No. CXXVL— VOL. VII. FEBRUARY, 181)0.
JOURNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS.
Experiments in Thought-transference 197
Reference to a Recent Case of " Faith-healing " 207
Lord Leighton 208
The Third International Congress of Psychology 208
Correspondence:— Concerning Eusapia Paladino 210
EXPERIMENTS IN THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE.
The experiments recorded below were carried out by Dr. A. S.
Wiltse, an Honorary Associate of the American branch of the S.P.R.,
who has contributed several cases to the Proceedings and Journal ; see
especially some experiments with a hypnotised subject, published in
Mrs. Sidgwick's paper " On the Evidence for Clairvoyance," in Pro-
ceedings, Vol. VIL, p. 72, and a remarkable premonitory case (P. 151)
in Mr. Myers' paper on " The Subliminal Self," in Proceedings, Part
XXIX., Vol. XL, p. 573.
With regard to his general method of work, Dr. Wiltse writes to
Dr. Hodgson : —
Kismet, Morgan Co., Tenn. February 3rd, 1892.
When I make an experiment, I immediately record it in my note-book,
with date, etc. The notes sent you are copied from note-book.
The following are the notes of the first series of experiments sent.
METHOD : — A. S. Wiltse, M.D., percipient, covers his eyes with a fold of
dark cloth. The agent fixes the thought upon an objective form unknown
to percipient.
Experiment 1. — February 22nd, 1891. — Mrs. Wiltse, agent. Percipient
sees a mountain. (Correct.)
Experiment 2. — Same agent. Percipient saw a house. (Correct.)
Experiment 3. — Same agent. Percipient saw a variety of images, as dogs,
cows, etc., mainly a failure, as agent thought of the abstract subject —
"Shall we do well 1 " meaning financially.
Experiment 4. — Same agent. Percipient saw a man on a horse. (Correct.)
Mrs. W. was thinking how percipient looked on horseback in past years.
Experiment 5. — Same agent. Percipient saw dim image of Mrs. W.'s
mother. Correct, as she was looking at her mother's picture hanging in
front of her, and thinking.
Experiment 6. — Mrs. Wiltse, agent. Percipient saw a circle, but could
not tell whether a wheel or ring, on account of smoky, dull clouds. Agent
was thinking of a chimney with smoke pouring out.
198 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 1896.
February 23rd. — A. S. Wiltse, percipient. Mr. T. Raseco, agent.
Experiment 7. — Percipient saw dull colours like clouds, or perhaps mist
and snow ; also a few people. Experiment mainly, though not altogether, a
failure. Agent was thinking of a certain railroad station, with train standing in
front and people standing about. Also of the smoke and steam of the engine.
Experiment 8. — A. S. W., percipient. T. Raseco, agent. Percipient
saw, but dimly, a church with open doors. Agent was thinking of M. E.
Church at this place, with preacher and congregation inside.
Experiments 9 and 10. — Mrs. W., agent. A. S. W., percipient. Failures.
Could see no image at all.
Experiment 11. — Jason Wiltse, age 15, agent. A. S. W., percipient.
Saw scene in Cumberland Mountains with man and dog hunting. (Correct.)
Experiment 12. —6.30 a.m. — Jason, agent. A. S. W., percipient. Both
in bed, but on opposite sides of the room. Percipient saw a black-covered
book. Agent said he was thinking of a train of covered waggons. Asked
how he chanced to select the object, he said he had been reading about a
journey with covered waggons, and had looked at the pictures of the train.
Book was brought out and proved to be black-covered. Agent undoubtedly
visualized the book as vividly as the waggons, but unconsciously.
Experiment 13. — Jason, agent. A. S. W., percipient. Saw images after
long waiting, but not correct ones.
Experiments 14 and 15. — Jason, agent. A. S. W., percipient. Both
experiments failures.
Experiment 16. — Mr. Frank Neuner, agent. A. S. W., percipient. Saw
figure of young woman. (Correct.)
Experiment 17. — Mr. F. Neuner, agent. A. S. W., percipient. Saw
almost immediately a field of some kind of small grain like yellow ripe wheat,
but the image appearing so soon and not in the usual order, gave it no heed.
Afterwards saw two horses in harness and two men. Agent was thinking of
his wheat crop and of how he should gather it, but claimed he had not
thought of horses or men, as he gathers with a reaper ; he most likely
visualized the whole force for the work, but not consciously.
Experiment 18. — Jason as agent. A. S. W. as percipient. Could see
nothing.
Experiment 19. — Jason as agent. A. S. W. as percipient. Saw mottled
flying clouds, between which could discern patches of blue sky. Thought
the clouds very peculiar, as they were so small and there were so many
openings between them ; later, saw some animal, either wolf, dog or lion.
Agent was thinking of immense flocks of ducks, flying in circles over his
head, as he had seen them during the day. Afterwards looked at and thought
of the house-dog.
Experiment 20.— Jason as agent. A. S. W. as percipient. Saw bright
red spots, but could not make them out. Agent was watching a game of
checkers, and favouring the side with red men.
Experiment 21. — Stolen interview with Mrs. Wiltse's private meditations.
A. S. W. sitting, writing at his desk, perceives that agent is wrapt in thought ;
drops his face on his arm and attempts to catch her thoughts. Saw mountain
FEB., 1896.] Experiments in Thought-transference. 199
scenery, Mrs. W.'s brother, Mrs. Sken and another woman, both women on
horseback. Mrs. W. was thinking of her home in Cumberland Mountains,
of her brother, who lives there, and of herself and Mrs. Sken, visiting their
friends in the mountains, but said she had not thought of horses. (Siiggestion ;
Horseback riding is the prevalent mode of travel in the mountains, and as
Mrs. W. thought of visiting different parties there, she probably
unconsciously visualized her method of locomotion.)
Experiment 22. — Mrs. W. as agent, who declares she will foil me this
time. A. S. W., percipient. Saw mountains, Mrs. W.'s mother, her uncle
L., the road from our house in the mountains to house of her uncle L., the
cemetery in which her mother is buried, a grave with tombstones, etc.
(Exactly correct.)
Experiment 23. — Mrs. W. as agent. A. S.W., percipient. Saw a man
driving some sort of a vehicle, but could only see the man on outside high
seat, with reins in his hands, and leaning back as if driving with tight reins.
Agent was thinking of a prospective journey in a covered waggon, with Mr.
F. driving.
Experiment 24. — Mrs. W., agent. A.S.W., percipient. Saw a woman in
garb not now in fashion, a child running about, and a skiff. Agent was
thinking of a scene years ago, on which occasion she was with her mother
and sister, our child playing about, and Mrs. W. cutting and fitting a dress
for her sister, during which work a skiff came from the steamer to take
her on board for a trip to Florida.
Experiment 25. — Jason as agent. A.S.W., percipient. Saw images
dim and fleeting, among which were human figures. Agent was thinking of
one particular person, but as other images were incorrect, I regard this
experiment as a failure.
Experiment 26. — Jason as agent. A.S.W., percipient. Saw a horse.
(Correct.)
Experiment 27. — T. Raseco, agent. A.S.W., percipient. Saw figures
of animals, brush, clouds, rocks, etc., constantly shifting, but the pre-
dominant features were a house, and a slight female figure. (Correct.) But
curious, from the fact that agent could not hold the mind, as he wished,
upon a certain landscape, but it constantly wandered to a certain house and
a young girl who lives there, so that he felt strongly inclined to call off the
experiment, on account of his inability to concentrate the mind. Time
occupied in this experiment, ten minutes.
Note by the agent who is present : — (While I am copying from my note-
book.)
"I certify that this experiment is truthfully and correctly reported, as
a'so are experiments Nos. 7, 8, and 28.
(Signed) "T. RASECO."
Experiment 28. — A. S. Wiltse, as agent, attempts to produce a certain
image in the mind of T. Raseco, since 10 p.m., distance apart about 200
yards ; both in bed, by appointment, at 9.55 p.m. Agent fixes upon the
image he will produce, so that no possible hint may be exchanged. Meeting
the next morning, they exchange notes.
200 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 1896.
Result. — A.S.W. attempted to make T. Raseco see an African jungle, as
it would appear at night, with a hunter's tent in front, and a tiger glaring
out from the jungle. Percipient to see only the glowing eyes, with ill-
defined form back of them.
T. Raseco, the percipient, saw : —
A large and dense mass of bushes, apparently rose-bushes, as there seemed
an abundant profusion of roses. In the midst of this mass appeared two balls-
of fire, behind which was an indistinct bulk which he could not make out.
(Query : by agent : Why, if the experiment was truly partially successful,
as would seem to be the fact, did percipient see roses in place of palms, saw-
palms, etc., which were in my mind ?)
Experiment 29. — March 28th. — C. Spencer, agent. A. S. W., percipient.
Could see no images at all.
Experiment 30. — March 29th. — C. Spencer and Mrs. Wiltse both as
agents. Could see nothing.
Experiment 31. — April 1st. — Mrs. Wiltse as agent. Total failure.
Experiment 32. — April 1st. — B. Buckley as agent. Failure.
Experiment 33. — April Sth. — 9 p.m. — Mr. T. Raseco and Mrs. Wiltse as
agents both thinking of the same object ; time occupied ten minutes ;
caught the object correctly.
Experiment 34. — April 9th. — Three persons sitting, each thinking of
different objects. Caught two out of the three. The third had foolishly
thought of the wind, and as it has no objective form, of course there could
be no image. It should be noticed that, in my experiments, I have only been
able to catch objective forms.
Experiment 35. — April 10M. — A failure, as I could see no images at all.
Experiment 36. — May 10th. — Mr. B. Buckley and Mrs. Wiltse sitting
as agents, each looking at different plates in encyclopaedia. Caught both
correctly, except [that] \vhat I took to be a small Egyptian hieroglyphic was
small figures of Greek carvings.
Experiment 37. — June l&th. — Mrs. Wiltse, agent, not quite understanding
the conditions, she said she would think of a certain person. I told her that
would not be a fair experiment, since she had given the object she was going
to think of, and she promised to think of something else. On the appear-
ance of the images, I said: "You have broken your contract, for you are
thinking of a man and a woman, and the man has on a broad brimmed hat."
(Exactly correct. )
Experiments 38 and 39 are not copied in my note book. They were
similar in every respect to the foregoing, and were successes.
Experiment 40. — Mr. Jno. Edmonds, editor of Daily Courier, Lincoln,
111., agent. (On board train en route to St. Louis, Mo.) Mr. Edmonds
believed telepathy an impossible thing, and I volunteered an experiment as
a possible means of convincing him. Time occupied was about ten minutes.
Saw a woman of very small features, which I thought might be a small
picture in a locket, as I seemed to see a locket, (Correct — as he was think-
ing of his wife, who is dead, and who had, he says, very small features.
He had her picture in a locket in his pocket, but said he was thinking of
FEB., 1896.] Experiments in Thought-transference. 201
the person and not of the picture. I believe he must have unconsciously
visualised the locket and picture.) The agent is an entire stranger to me.
The following corroborative note is appended to the account : —
Skiddy, Kans., June 9th, 1891.
To THE HON. SEC. OF THE S.P.R. — I have assisted Dr. A. S. Wiltse in
several of his experiments in thought-transference, and take pleasure in
stating that his method was as stated. He is blindfolded during the experi-
ment, and the mind of the agent is concentrated upon an object unknown
to the percipient, with results as stated in his notes, to which this evidence
is attached.
(Signed) B. BUCKLEY.
The second series of experiments was carried out in 1893. Dr.
Wiltse's record of them is as follows : —
Experiment 1. — Present : Mrs. Anderson, Miss Hall, Mr. D. Hall, Miss
B. Melton, and others.
The writer hypnotised Mr. N. B. Melton to Bernheim's ninth degree, and
told him to go to his mother's residence, three miles distant. Miss Belle
Melton, his sister, had come from home that day and had purposely
arranged for the seance, as changes had been made in her mother's house of
which her brother knew nothing. After a few minutes' silence on the part
of the percipient, he said there was nobody at home and no light in the
house. I lighted a lamp, "in his mind." He then said they had been
putting up new wall-paper, and described the same correctly.
"There," said he, "is Belle's trunk in the comer of the room." I told
him to look into it and tell me what was there, but he said it was locked and
he had no key.
Miss M. had left the trunk unlocked, trusting to her mother and sister
Louise to lock it, in case they left the house, and she had no positive
knowledge as to whether the trunk was, at this particular hour, locked or
unlocked. I provided a key for him as I had the light, and he unlocked the
trunk and proceeded to take an invoice of its contents, first exacting a promise
from me that I would "never give him away to the girls." " There is a
pistol," said he. This was wrong, although there had been one there, and
several cartridges were really there.
After some trivial details, he exclaimed with a laugh : ' ' Blamed if there
ain't Belle's letters ! What a joke it would be to go through them." He
seemed to be looking them over and I asked him to read some of them to
me, which he refused to do. I asked how many there were, and he said
there were four from her sweetheart and one from a young lady, giving me
the name of the lady, also the name of her post-office correctly ; the number
of the letters was also correctly given, although both he and his sister assure
me that he knew nothing of the letters. He said there was a note in one of
the letters to his sister Louise. This was a mistake, as there is not a word
in either of the letters to Miss Louise, but a separate note to her had been
sent in one of the letters and had been given to her.
202 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 1896,
He then said that the women had left the clothes out of doors upon the
line, and Miss M. said she thought this was not true, as such a thing was
strictly against their rule. It turned out, however, that percipient was
correct. It was also true that there was no person in the house, as his.
mother and sister had left the house and had gone to spend the night with
percipient's wife some hundreds of yards away. They had locked the trunk,,
so that in this item also the percipient was correct.
Experiment 2. — Present : Mrs. Wiltse, Jason, my son, aged 17 years,.
N. B. Melton, the percipient, and the writer.
Percipient was placed in the hypnotic trance, and asked to see what was
going on at his own house, three miles away.
He named different persons who were there, and said his best sewing
machine was missing. He was at that time selling sewing machines, and had
been away from home all day. He seemed worried about the machine, and
I tried to pacify him by telling him he was probably mistaken, but he
insisted that the machine was certainly gone.
Awake, he was told what he had said, and he declared he must have been
wrong, as the machine was a fine one, and his wife would not let it go unless
some person had paid the full price in cash, and he did not know of anyone
likely to do that, and no one could get it from his wife on any other terms,
as she would not know how to write out the contract. It turned out,
however, that the machine in question was missing, just as he had said, for
his sisters had purposely taken the opportunity of his absence for a whole day
and night to carry the machine to their house, a few hundred yards away, to
do a special piece of work with, knowing he would make them take a cheaper
machine if they applied to him. Percipient told correctly who, besides his
family, were staying at the house, and located them correctly as they were
sleeping. Part of this may have resulted from inference, since they were his
mother and his two sisters, but it was very unusual for all three to leave
their own house alone to stay with Mrs. M. while he was away at night, a&
they had done on this particular night.
As a possible demonstration of the [transference of the subconscious ideas
of the agent], I shall next cite an experiment made but a few evenings ago,
in which I was myself the percipient and in which hypnosis played no part.
Experiment 3. — Mrs. Wiltse and Mr. W. J. Roberts, a telegraph
operator, acted as agents. I rested my face in a dark-coloured shawl while
the agents, sitting some feet from me, fixed their minds upon objects
unknown to me, or to each other.
In these experiments, some minutes are required to exclude the images,
already upon the retina, the full accomplishment of which I know by the
onset of obscure darkness, soon after which I frequently see a changing and
shifting array of various colours, followed by a clear field of some light colour
upon which images, more or less well-defined, appear and disappear ; and
these images so often prove to be the form of that of which the agent is
thinking as, I think, to exclude the theory of chance.
In the present experiment I saw a landscape with trees, the most pro-
minent of which were of the family of the coniferee. Also a man clad in a.
suit of mail.
FEB., 1896.] Experiments in Thought-transference. 203
It so happened that both agents had chosen the home of their childhood
as the object to be thought of. The trees seemed to be natural enough, such
trees standing about Mrs. Wiltse's old home, as she informed us, but what
did the man in armour mean ? Both agents declared they had not thought
of a man in armour. I began to think it a mere chance image, as I often
see images while experimenting and also at other times, for which I can find
no origin. But I felt that I had probably arrived at the real cause of this
image when Mr. Roberts informed me that prominent among his recollections
of the old home was a picture of a knight in armour, which had hung in the
sitting room from his earliest recollection, although he was positive he had
not consciously thought of the picture during the experiment.
Experiment 4. — Present ; Mrs. Wiltse, Mrs. N. B. Melton, Mr. W. J.
Roberts.
The percipient, Mr. N. B. Melton, was hypnotised, and told to look up
the family he and Mrs. M. were going to visit next day at New River, 23
miles distant, of whose residence none of us knew anything at all, more
than that they resided somewhere near New River.
He described the residence as a framed house containing three rooms,
gave the direction and the distance from New River, said the family were
asleep, and gave the number in the family (he may have known this latter
item, as they were acquaintances.*) Told to awaken the sleepers, he
claimed to be trying to awaken them, and continued the effort for some
time. There was no perceptible physical sign of effort, though he said he had
nearly pulled the man out of bed by the foot, and finally said the woman
had wakened, and he believed saw him, as she seemed to look surprised.
All this about having produced any effect upon the sleepers was probably
mere hallucination. The lady of the house was awake several times during
the night in question, but did not know at what hour, neither did she have
any impression or dream which could possibly indicate that any mental im-
pression was produced [on her] by the percipient. The rest of the percipient's
statements proved correct. But in another room from the one in which the
family were sleeping were two boarders whom the percipient seems to have
entirely overlooked. {Query. Did he miss these two persons because I
failed to tell him to look into more than the one room, — as was really the
case, — and he could only see them by actually going into the room, just as in
physical life ; or was it an independent freak of the subliminal self, that
would not condescend to tell more than it was asked to tell ?)
Eyperiment 5, — This evening, February 13th, 1893, while engaged upon
this paper, my son, having just retired for the night, called out to me from
the next room, where he was lying, to tell him what he was thinking about.
The method above named was resorted to, and the images I saw written
down, and handed to Mrs. Wiltse. The record reads thus : ' ' Saw a deer,
also a skiff with two persons in it." After Mrs. Wiltse had taken possession
of the record, the boy was told to say what he had thought of. He said he
had been thinking of two things. Of a deer he and I had seen in the woods
* Percipient informs me later that he supposed there were four children, but
that one had died, of which fact, at time of the experiment, he had no intimation.
204 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 1896.
a few days before, and that he also looked at the picture of a landscape
(which hangs upon the wall) and thought how he would like to be out on
such a lake, hunting ducks.
He had not consciously thought of a boat, but I think it hardly possible
that he could have thought of being on the lake hunting ducks, without
conceiving, — though perhaps all unconsciously to the supraliminal self, — of
the means, which naturally would be a boat of some kind.
Experiment 6. — (Same evening.) This experiment called for another, this
time with Mrs. Wiltse as a willing volunteer agent. [The] images seen I
wrote down as follows : —
" Some one riding, I think in a cutter, for there seems snow on the
ground. Some wheeled vehicle — I think a steam car, for there seemed a track
like rails a portion of the time. Fort Ryley, cannons, a person, a tent."
This record was held in my own possession and Mrs. Wiltse was asked
to say what she had thought of.
Answer was, " I was thinking of the time I went to Junction City on the
train to hear Blind Tom play, and of the piece in which he imitated the
noise of cannons."
Let us analyse this experiment. Mrs. Wiltse had intended to think of
Blind Tom playing, " only that and nothing more ;" but she actually, although
almost unconsciously, took into her mental view almost the whole panorama
of several different excursions. Her first report of what she was thinking
about related to less than she knew of, even consciously, for she actually left
out the fact of her having even dwelt upon the particular music at all and,
when questioned about the matter, very innocently declared she had not
thought of Fort Ryley nor the cannons, but was thinking of Tom's playing
that piece in which he imitated the noise of cannons.
This piece of music had strongly impressed her, for I recollect her glowing
account of the music when she came home from the entertainment. She had
also visited Fort Ryley, had seen the cannons there and, I presume, the tents
also, and I think it not unreasonable or unscientific to assume that, by the law
of association of ideas, when she called up Blind Tom in the act of playing
she also called up to view the whole panorama as I saw it painted upon that
hidden canvas, her subliminal memory.
Experiment 7. — (Same evening.) Jason (my son) agent. Saw several
images, among them some unrecognised animal, which I thought might be a
bison, as the head seemed lowered and the shoulders high. Also a man lying
down. Agent was thinking of a certain sick man in the neighbourhood, also
of a hog. I could not make out any origin of other images seen in this
experiment.
Experiment 8. — February 13th. — Jason as agent. Images seen were: a
bird with outspread wings, reminding me strongly of a very large bat, as
the wings seemed spread all the time ; also a woman dressed in light-coloured
skirt and dark polonaise.
Agent was thinking of shooting prairie chickens, also of a young lady in
our village who wears frequently just such a garb. I do not know if I have
ever seen it.
FEB., 1896.] Experiments in Thought-transference.
205
Experiment 9. — February 13fft. — Jason as agent. Images seen were a
stand of arms, also a man and woman on horseback.
Agent was looking at our two guns standing in the corner of the room in
which I was writing and which could be seen from his bed. I could make
•out no origin for the other images.
Another Experiment under Hypnosis. — Present : Mr. Orlando Green,
Mrs. Anna Green, Mrs. Wiltse, and the writer.
Mr. N. B. Melton was hypnotised by the writer, and told to go to the
residence of Mr. and Mrs. Green, four miles distant. Mr. and Mrs. Green
are new comers here, and percipient has never been in their house, which has
been built since they came here. The percipient, however, informs me that he
has passed the house, which may account for his knowledge of its external
appearance.*
In trance, percipient said: " The house is weather-beaten. " (Correct.)
Located articles correctly in the front room (the parlour). (See diagram of
the house kindly furnished by Mr. Green.)
E.
Parlour
Piano
Bedroom
Bedroom
Bed
W.
He correctly located a landscape picture upon the wall of the parlour and
described it with wonderful accuracy, but gave an entirely wrong description
of the frame. Located the piano, but said it looked like a safe, although it
might be an organ. He finally exclaimed, "Oh, I see so many things !"
* The road in front of the house is shown on the original plan to be on its east side. — ED.
206 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 1896,
(This seems somewhat striking, as the room is a complete museum of fancy
articles of scrollwork of Mr. Green's own manufacture.)
He said there were two bedrooms on the south of the parlour, but he
could see no door to them. (These rooms had originally been but one, but
Mr. Green has just run [up] a partition cutting it into two rooms, doing the
work himself, and no one outside the family knew of it as yet. There were
no doors into them put up as yet, but a curtain was hung over the entrances.)
He said there was a bed in each of the rooms, that no one was in either of
them, but that one of the beds was "all mussed up." (The bed was piled up
with a miscellaneous lot of clothing.)
From the parlour he said a door opened on to a porch on the west,
(Correct.)
He seemed to enter the room marked X in the diagram and correctly
located the bed ; said it was dark in the room, but that somebody was in the
bed. (There was no one at the house except Mrs. Lyons, the married
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Green, and her husband. On this particular night
Mrs. Lyons had sat up late and Mr. Lyons [had gone] to bed.)
Percipient spoke of a small box lying on south side of room in which Mr-
Lyons slept. (Both Mr. and Mrs. Green failed to recall anything of the kind,
but on arriving home found that a small scroll box, which Mr. G. had mad©
purposely for his daughter, was lying in the room as described by percipient.
They had probably seen the box there before.)
I have given in this article only successful experiments, but let no one
suppose that, sandwiched between them, there have been no discouraging
failures ; for there have been many. Only a few days ago, this same subject
gave me a full description of " callers, etc., at my own house. My son
was at the house and not at school, a dark-eyed, black-haired girl was-
standing by the stove, and talking with Mrs. Wiltse, etc." I walked rapidly
through three miles of mountain mud, in order to interview the family
while the incidents of that particular hour were fresh in their minds, and
arrived, panting and exhausted, only to find that not one little item, even,
of the whole story was correct.
In those experiments with myself as percipient, I frequently see images
for which I can find no explanation, or even fail to see any images at all.
This is especially likely to be the case if company is present with [which] I
do not feel perfectly in unison.
The following corroborative note is signed by witnesses of the
experiments.
We, the undersigned, do solemnly swear that the above statements as to
those experiments in which our names figure are substantially true and
correct, to the best of our knowledge and belief.
ORLANDO L. GREEN.
ANNA S. GREEN.
MRS. HAIDEE WILTSE.
Miss LOUIZA MELTON.
W. J. ROBERTS.
JASON WILTSE.
FEB., 1896.] Reference to Recent Case of " Faith-healing." 207
REFERENCE TO A RECENT CASE OF " FAITH-HEALING."
We have received the following letter from Mr. M. Petrovo-
Solovovo in reference to the case of " faith-healing " printed in the
Journal for last December, p. 172.
38, Serghievskaia, St. Petersburg, December 10/22>ic?, [1895.]
DEAR SIR, — In connection with the case of faith-healing printed in the
last number of the Journal, the following letter, which appeared in the
Moscow newspapers some time since, may be of interest. It is written by
the gentleman himself who has been cured , and was originally addressed to
the Editor of the well-known Moscow Gazette.
" In several newspaper articles, extracts have been given from a
communication made by Professor Kozhevnikoff [or ' Kojevnikoff,' as I
should prefer to spell the name] at a sitting of the Moscow Society of
Neuro-Pathologists, concerning my cure from sycosis, and also a description
of the occurrence itself.
' ' Leaving aside the explanations made by physicians, I feel bound to
reproduce the fact itself, just as it did actually occur.
" The physicians who attended me in Russia and the authorities on medical
science in Western Europe to whom I had addressed myself on account of
my illness, which had lasted for about a year, found that it could last for
eighteen years, and could in no case end suddenly, even if treated most
persistently. I had heard for the last time such a verdict from Professor
Kaposi in Vienna on Good Saturday of the present year.
"I came back to Moscow on Wednesday evening during Easter week
and became acquainted through my servant with a plain peasant woman,,
according to whose advice I went the next morning, together with her, into
the Temple of Christ the Saviour. She read beside me a short prayer, the
first words of which were an appeal to the Most Holy Virgin. I can say one
thing only : at that moment I was entirely free from ecstacy and felt under
no influence whatever proceeding from this woman. On the same day all
my wounds were healed, all my swellings disappeared, and I left the house
without wearing the bandage which I had not taken off for nine months.
People saw me as I was before my illness and congratulated me, whilst I
was unceasingly thanking God for His mercy.
" NICHOLAS C. DOROBETZ.
" Privat-docent of the Imperial University of Moscow.
" Moscow, October 11/23, 1895."
I may remark in conclusion that far from being "incomplete" (as the
British Medical Journal says) the Temple of the Saviour was consecrated as-
far back as in 1883. — I am, dear Sir, Yours faithfully,
MICHAEL PETROVO-SOLOVOVO
208 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 18%.
LORD LEIGHTON.
By the death of Lord Leighton, — better known as Sir Frederick
Leighton, — the Society for Psychical Research has lost an Honorary
Member of high distinction ; whose cordial sympathy with our general
aims and methods was founded upon a wide range and a fearless
independence of thought. Not to men of science alone, but to all men
truly representative of the things of the spirit, do we desire that our
work should appeal ; and when the late President of the Royal
Academy allowed his name to be added to our list of Honorary
Members, — a list which already included the name of Mr. Watts, —
there was certainly no other artist whose adhesion could have been
more welcome or more significant.
This is not the place either for criticism or for eulogy. But if
indeed the Universe make for Beauty, therein must that clear spirit
be at home ; — the limner of many a fair and noble image ; — e'£ ai/roO
irapdyayv dp^ervirov Kpadirjs. xp TTT TT "M"
THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF
PSYCHOLOGY.
I am requested by the General Secretary to the Congress — Dr.
Freiherr von Schrenk-Notzing — to draw the attention of members of
the Society to the following complete programme of proceedings at
the Congress, which is to be held at Munich next August. He also
informs me that a special section will be arranged for the discussion
of hypnotic and cognate phenomena, (including telepathy and thought-
transference).
I. PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY.
(A) Anatomy and Physiology of the brain and of the sense-organs
(somatic basis of psychical life).
Development of nerve-centres ; theory of localisation and of
neurons, paths of association and structure of the brain.
Psychical functions of the central parts ; reflexes, automatism,
innervation, specific energies.
(B) Psychophysics. Connection between physical and psychical
processes ; psychophysical methods ; the law of Fechner.
Physiology of the senses (muscular and cutaneous sensibility,
audition, light-perception, audition coloree) ; psychical effects of
certain agents (medicines). Reaction-times. Measurement of
vegetative reactions (inspiration, pulse, muscle-fatigue).
II. PSYCHOLOGY OF THE NORMAL INDIVIDUAL.
Scope, methods and resources of Psychology. Observation and
experiment. — Psychology of sensations. — Sensation and idea,
FEB., 1896.] International Congress of Psychology.
memory and reproduction. — Laws of association, fusion of
ideas. — Consciousness and unconsciousness, Attention, habit,
expectation, exercise. — Perception of space (by sight, by touch,
by the other senses) ; consciousness of depth-dimension, optical
illusions. Perception of time.
Theory of Knowledge. Imagination. Theory of feeling. Feeling and
sensation. Sensual, sesthetical, ethical and logical feeling.
Emotions. Laws of feeling. — Theory of will. Feeling of
willing and voluntary action. Expressive movements. Facts
of ethics.— Self-consciousness. Development of personality.
Individual differences.
Hypnotism, theory of suggestion, normal sleep, dreams. — Psychical
automatism. — Suggestion in relation to pedagogics and crimi-
nality ; pedagogical psychology.
III. PSYCHOPATHOLOGY.
Heredity in Psychopathology ; Statistics. — Can acquired qualities be
transferred by inheritance ? — Psychical relations (somatic and
psychic heredity), phenomena of degeneration, psychopathic
inferiority (insane temperament). — Genius and degeneration ;
moral and social importance of heredity.
Psychology in relation to criminality and jurisprudence.
Psychopathology of the sexual sensations.
Functional nerve-disease (hysteria and epilepsy).
Alternating consciousness ; psychical infection ; the pathological side
of hypnotism ; pathological states of sleep.
Psychotherapy and suggestive treatment.
Cognate phenomena : mental suggestion, telepathy, transposition of
senses ; international statistics of hallucinations.
Hallucinations and illusions ; imperative ideas, aphasia and similar
pathological phenomena.
IV. COMPARATIVE PSYCHOLOGY.
Moral-statistics.
The psychical life of the child.
The psychical functions of animals.
Ethnographical and anthropological psychology.
Comparative psychology of languages ; graphology.
As stated in the notice of the Congress printed in the Journal for
November, 1895, the complete official programme and the form of
application for membership may be obtained by any Member or
Associate of the S.P.R. on application to E. T. Bennett, Esq., 19,
Buckingham Street, Adelphi, London, "W.C.
210 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 1896
Psychologists who propose (1) to offer papers or addresses, or (2)
generally to take part in the Congress, are requested to fill up the
forms which accompany the complete official programme and to send
them, with written abstracts of their intended communications, to the
Secretary's office (Munich, Max Josephstrasse, 2) before May 15th,
1896. The Secretary asks me to state that he would be glad to
receive at least the titles of intended communications as soon as
possible.
CORRESPONDENCE.
{The Editor is not, responsible for opinions expressed by Correspondents.]
CONCERNING EUSAPIA PALADINO.
(To the Editor of the JOURNAL OF THE I.S.P.R.)
DEAR SIR, — The final outcome of the investigation into the claims of this
famous " medium " offers a good opportunity to formulate very definitely
some of the principles which regulate the nature and progress of psychical
research. Not that men like Mr. Gurney, Mr. Myers and Professor
Sidgwick are not aware of them, or have not assumed them, bob that it is
well to repeat them on this occasion as reminders to those who fflther ignore
them or are not conscious of their existence in inquiries of this kind.
The manifold objects with which the Society set out in its work have
served often to conceal the criterion of its method and results, and it has
been only when the probability that telepathy is a phenomenon to be
seriously reckoned with in the field of science was established, that we
could discover any clue to the limitations which must apply to methods
seeking evidence of the supernormal and transcendental, if I may use the
latter term to express the existence of forces or causes not presenting them-
selves in the usual space relations to the phenomenon witnessed. The
avowed purpose to investigate seriously such claims as table turning, spirit
rappings, materialising pretensions, along with those of clairvoyance,
hypnotism, thought-transference, &c., showed no traces of the common
method which must prevail in the study in order to merit the name of
science, and hence until some considerable investigation had been made it
was but natural to treat all subjects independently, report facts impartially,
and assume nothing that might prejudice the seriousness and the value of
the work. But I think we have gone far enough for us to formulate some
principle which shall serve as a more definite criterion of proof than seems
to have been considered in the earlier treatment of physical phenomena
claiming to be supernatural or supernormal. This conclusion is especially
enforced by the final result in the case of Eusapia Paladino, with its reflec-
tion of discredit upon similar cases.
But before formulating this principle, I wish to call attention to a peculiar
difficulty against which we psychical researchers have to labour in this
matter. The very spirit with which we investigate claims which the average
FEB., 1896.] Correspondence. 211
scientific mind rejects upon a priori grounds disarms the scepticism that is so
effective and so healthy an attitude for most men toward the marvellous.
Doubt is always an incentive to careful observation and some fortification
against illusion, while it prompts difficulties in the way of hasty belief.
This, however, we need not be told. But no matter how sceptical we are,
the serious attempt to be fair and to treat scientifically even the most pre-
posterous claims, — especially when the facts appear on the surface to be
honestly reported and yet outside ordinary experience, — inevitably weakens
the ordinary precautions against illusion, and we find ourselves unconsci-
ously sympathetic when we ought to be sceptical as well as candid and
scientific. All these influences have been very much strengthened and
doubt disarmed by the amount of truth found in the phenomena of telepathy
crystal vision, automatic writing, spontaneous apparitions and hypnotism,
all of which were once laughed at as illusion, fraud or quackery. Forced to
accept these against scientific tradition, we very naturally increase our
patience with claims like those made about Eusapia Paladino, while for-
getting the one principle which requires to be kept in mind before concluding
to anything supernormal. The positive results attained in other fields make
us look for such in cases like hers when the presumption for negative
results is sustained by the limitations under which such phenomena occur,
and yet the very determination to treat disgusting performances with all the
care, patience and scientific thoroughness possible either misrepresents us
before the scientific world, or both misrepresents us and creates an obstacle
to the sceptical observation of the facts. Here then is a situation in which
we require to be doubly armed. I hope the principle which I wish to formu-
late may be helpful in supplying this desideratum, and in affording a pre-
sumption upon which to investigate cases like Eusapia Paladino.
Now when we look at the results collected by the Society in the three
fields of telepathy, automatic writing, and mediumistic phenomena like those
of Mrs. Piper, we observe one uniform characteristic ; namely, that they
represent events or facts obtained through tlw agency of the subject's nervous
system. This is a most important consideration for the limitations which it
would empirically impose upon our expectations of finding exceptionally
determined events independently of such an organism. Thus we find that
telepathic impressions, whether of a sensory or ideational character, are
known facts only as they are expressed through a nervous system. Automatic
writing presents communications only through the same medium and never
through the inorganic matter ; at least, we have no authentic confirmation of
the latter. Mediumistic messages come in the same way, and all facts pur-
porting to be physical events independent of such an organism are still sub
judice, such as spirit rappings, table turning, &c., where human hands are
not connected with the objects purporting to be affected. Even the
phenomena said to occur in connection with Eusapia Paladino are, and
profess to be, mediated through her organism.
Now it is precisely this limitation that affords a presumption against
any foreign source for the phenomena, unless they show the characteristics
of personality other than that of the subject. The immensely rich field
of subliminal influences in the subject itself only adds difficulties to
the supposition of the transcendental ; but until multiplied traces of a
personality, not expressible in either the subliminal or supraliminal action
of the subject, are found, it is futile to treat the phenomena seriously
except for satisfying scientific method. Now it is noticeable in all the
telepathic, automatic and mediumistic phenomena on which any stress
has been laid by the Society, that the force of any and all of them
lies in the traces of transcendental causes. The facts adduced to prove
212 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [FEB., 1896,
telepathy, for instance, would have no weight were it not for the proof of
coincidental thoughts on the part of others than the subject, under circum-
stances and with connections that either make the hypothesis of chance
absurd, or show that scientific method generally is an illusion. In automatic
writing the messages have value only as they express intelligent facts of a
character objective to the medium, and it is extremely difficult to determine
when such limitations are transcended.
Now when we come to Eusapia Paladino, we find the general principle
above mentioned illustrated in her case ; namely, the occurrence of certain
phenomena only in connection with her nervous organism. But slapping*
on the back of sitters, the whimsical movements of physical objects
and similar events, are not evidences or expressions of a consciousness
independent of the organism in connection with which they occur, — even
supposing that they occur when hands and feet are held, — not to say
anything of the absolutely fatal circumstance in the negative that they
must occur only in the dark. The beauty of telepathic and automatic
phenomena is in the fact that they represent intelligent events, facts which
have to be co-ordinated under the conception of mind, and not of physical
phenomena. The supposed supernormal occurrences in connection with
Eusapia Paladino are nothing of the kind. Not a trace of intelligence
occurs in them ; so that granting their genuineness, — which can hardly be
claimed after the recent investigations at Cambridge, — there is no reason
to suppose that they express anything more than physical phenomena of
her nervous system, in which Spiritualism can have no interest whatsoever.
The thing to be learned by the average Spiritualist is that his doctrine
depends, not upon extraordinary physical events merely, but upon the traces
of consciousness other than the subliminal and supraliminal action of the
subject. It is the transcendental existence and persistence of mind which
Spiritualism requires to prove, and not the occurrence of physical events in
which no intelligent meaning can be found.
Hence, so far from treating table turning, rappings, noises and such
phenomena seriously as evidence for its claims, its interest rather lies
in discrediting them, or proving that they have no pertinency or value
whatever. They should be investigated only to show that they are not
evidential ;— first, for the reason that they are too much complicated
with the organism of the subject to escape a possible source in it ; and,
second, for the reason that there is no accompaniment of such intelligent
meaning as makes a foreign personality a plausible assumption. The
contrast with telepathy and automatic writing, and the phenomena pro-
duced by Mrs. Piper, is too great to justify any serious expectations from
the purely physical field. Hence, if we can keep in view two limitations to
our problem, we shall not be tempted to attach weight to phenomena
excluded empirically from its nature. First, we have the limitation of all
reliable phenomena of an evidential import to the mediation of some nervous
system. Until this is transcended, purely physical events cannot have a
spiritualistic meaning. Second, we have the limitations of the spiritualistic
problem to phenomena evincing definitely traces of intelligence other than
that of the subject, — phenomena requiring a transcendental mind to account
for their unity and meaning. The first of these is a precaution against giving
value to merely physical events and hasty exclusion of subliminal or supra-
liminal action of the subject ; the second provides a criterion for the
phenomena that can have a psychological and philosophical importance.
Columbia College, New York. JAMES H. HYSLOP.
December 23rd, 1895.
No. CXXVIL— VOL. VII. MAECH, 1896.
JOURNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGE
New Members and Associates 213
Meeting of the Council 214
General Meeting 215
G. P. Bidder, Q.C 218
Experimental Dreams .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 218
Correspondence: — " L'Hypothese du Magne"tisme Animal " .. 221
Balance Sheet for the Year 1895 226
The Edmund Gurney Library Fund 227
NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.
Names of Members are printed in Black Type.
Names of Associates are printed in SMALL CAPITALS.
AINSLIE, DOUGLAS, 88, Jermyn-street, London, S.W.
BENSON, Miss ANNETTE M., M.D., Cama Hospital, Bombay.
BENTINCK, LADY HENRY, 13, Grosvenor-place, London, W.
COMPTON, LADY ALWYNE, 7, Balfour-place, London, W.
HUTCHINSON, WILLIAM B., C.E., F.R.A.S , &c., Southport, Lancashire.
LOWENFELD, MRS., 31, Lowndes-square, London, S.W.
MAGENIS, LADY LOUISA, 64, Eaton Square, London, S.W.
Norris, Professor Richard, M.D., F.R.S.E., Birchfield, Aston,
Birmingham.
ORCHARD, MRS. WILLIAM, 79, Elsham-road, Kensington, London, W.
Philipps, Mrs. Wynford, 24, Queen Anne's Gate, London, S.W.
ROBINSON, EDWARD, C.E., F.R.A.S., 4, Castelnau-gardens, Barnes, S.W.
SHELDON, MRS. L. V., 52, Queen's-rd., Marlborough-rd., London, N.W.
SQUAREY, ANDREW T., J.P., Gorsey Hey, Bebington, Birkenhead.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
ABBOTT, LAWRENCE F., 13, Astor-place, New York, N.Y.
BARNETT, S. M., Mills, Freestone Co., Texas.
HAYDEN, L. F., 503, Equitable Building, Atlanta, Ga.
HOSKIN, JOHN, 4,100, Locust-street, Philadelphia, Pa.
JONES, W. A., M.D., Clandeboye, Ontario, Canada.
214 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAB., 1896.
LLEWELLYN, F. T., B.A., C.E., 1,012, Hennen-bldg., New Orleans, La.
MCMANAMA, M. G., 504, Rialto -building, St. Louis, Mo.
MUNNS, DR. C. 0., Oxford, Ohio.
PADDOCK, FRANK S., 1, Paddock-building, "Watertown, N.J.
PRATT, FREDERICK H., Worcester, Mass.
SCRIBNER, H. D., c/o Westinghouse Co., Mills-bldg., San Francisco, Cal.
SHAW, Miss EMMA G., 14, Rockville Park, Roxbury, Mass.
THOMAS, DR. H. J., 836, Buxton-street, Winston, N.C.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Council was held on January 31st at the
Westminster Town Hall. In the absence of the President, Dr.
Abraham Wallace was voted to the chair. There were also present : —
Colonel Hartley, Dr. J. Milne Bramwell, Dr. Walter Leaf, Dr. C.
Lockhart Robertson, Mr. F. W. H. Myers, and Mr. F. Podmore.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and signed as correct.
The Rev. Auguste Glardon was elected an Honorary Associate for
the current year.
Two new Members and eleven new Associates, whose names and
addresses are given above, were elected. The election of thirteen new
Associates of the American Branch was recorded.
The Council recorded with regret the death of Lord Leighton, an
Honorary Member, and also of Miss Thatcher, an Associate of the
Society.
At the request of Miss Porter, her name was transferred from the
list of Members to that of Associates ; and at the request of Mr. St.
George Lane Fox, his name was transferred from the list of Associates
to that of Members.
The resignation of three Members and seventeen Associates, who
for various reasons desired to terminate their connection with the
Society at the end of last year, was accepted.
The Assistant Secretary reported that the total number of names
of all classes of Members on the list of the Society on the 1st of
January, 1896, was 922 as against 914 the year before. During the
year 1895, the number of Members of the American Branch had been
reduced from 503 to 441.
An audited statement of the income and expenditure of the
Society during the year 1895 was presented. It appears as usual in
the Journal. In his report the Auditor states that "Mr. Bennett
lias recorded the transactions of the year with clearness and
accuracy."
MAR., 1896.] General Meeting. 215
The statement of accounts and the Auditor's report were referred
to the House and Finance Committee, who were desired to prepare an
estimate of income and expenditure for the current year, and present
it to the next meeting.
Some presents to the library were reported, and a vote of thanks
passed to the donors.
It was agreed that a General Meeting should be held in June, and
also in July, in addition to those already arranged for March and
April ; the exact dates to be fixed later.*
Various other matters of business having been attended to, it was
agreed that the next meeting of the Council should be on Friday,
March 13th, at 19, Buckingham-street, at 4.30 p.m.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 77th General Meeting of the Society was held at the West-
minster Town Hall, on Friday, January 31st, at 4 p.m., Mr. H. Arthur
Smith in the chair.
PROFESSOR WILLIAM JAMES' " Presidential Address " was read by
MR. F. W. H. MYERS, and will be published in the next number of
the Proceedings.
MR. MYERS then read a paper by MR. 0. M. BARROWS on " Sugges-
tion without Hypnotism," an account of experiments in preventing or
suppressing pain, which, it is hoped, will appear shortly in the
Proceedings. During the last six years, Mr. Barrows had treated
several hundred persons for insomnia, rheumatism, neuralgia, head-ache,
hysteria, &c. The patients remained in all cases in a normal waking
condition, and Mr. Barrows regarded the results obtained as due to the
action of telepathy.
DR. J. MILNE BRAMWELL said the remarkable results obtained by
Mr. Barrows were paralleled in the records of hypnotic work. The
novel part of the paper was not the history of cures effected, but the
theory accounting for them, — the statement that the patients were
not hypnotised and the hypothesis that the method employed was a
telepathic one.
It would be easier to discuss the paper if the writer had stated
exactly what he meant by hypnotism. It could be inferred, however,
that he considered four conditions essential to hypnosis: — (1) the
subject must pass into an unconscious state; (2) he must give up his
will to the operator ; (3) the suggestions must be verbal ones, which
* See notice on cover, p. iii.
216 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAR., 1896.
the subject is capable of understanding ; (4) the subject must be in
an abnormal mental condition, i.e., suffering from hysteria, or some
other form of nervous disorder. Taking these in order, Dr. Bramwell
pointed out (1) that hypnosis was not necessarily followed by amnesia.
Only one in ten of Braid's patients passed into a state of unconscious-
ness. The International Statistics, published by Dr. von. Schrenck-
Notzing, gave 11 per cent, of somnambules in 8,705 hypnotic cases
recorded. Dr. Bramwell had observed hypnotic cases in which
anaesthesia could be induced for operative purposes, but where there
was no general loss of memory, even in response to suggestion. In
another case, where deep hypnosis followed by amnesia had previously
been induced, the patient on a subsequent occasion was rendered,
anaesthetic for operative purposes, in what was apparently the
waking state, and retained the recollection of all that had happened,
the only abnormal phenomenon being the absence of pain.
This patient had eight teeth extracted at one sitting and four
at another. (2) It was not necessary for the subject to abandon
his will. Dr. Bramwell himself had never seen any evidence
of the so-called automatism of the hypnotised subject, nor a single
instance in which a patient was unable to choose between right and
wrong. Similar views were held by Braid. Certain members of the
Nancy School held opposite opinions, but their position was badly
supported by fact, and had recently been successfully attacked by
Professor Delboeuf of Liege. (3) Verbal suggestion. Dr. Bramwell
had observed at Nancy that Dr. Liebeault made his suggestions, even
to uneducated patients, in scientific language, and used anatomical
terms, which it was quite impossible for them to understand. These
suggestions could not be regarded as verbal in the sense used by Mr.
Barrows, but no doubt the patients knew that their object was a.
curative one, and translated them into terms of their own conscious-
ness. (4) Abnormal state of health. This was not necessary. Esdaile
hypnotised many thousands of the felons and coolies of Bengal and, as
he justly remarked, these were neither nervous nor hysterical persons,
while Mr. Wingfield at Cambridge hypnotised 120 undergraduates at
the first attempt.
Mr. Barrows asserted that the explanation of the phenomena he
recorded was to be found in the fact that by means of telepathic sug-
gestion he had been able to evoke the powers of the " Subliminal
Consciousness." This he apparently considered as entirely different
from the hypnotic, in evident ignorance of the fact that the subliminal
consciousness theory was regarded as the most reasonable and modern
attempt to solve the problems of hypnotism. Granting the existence
MAR., 1896.] General Meeting. 21V
-of a subliminal state, it is possible that it can -be reached by other than
hypnotic methods. Those employed by Mr. Barrows, however, differ
little from the ones used by hypnotists.
Now, as to telepathy. Again taking it for granted that the sub-
liminal consciousness exists ; that one can put oneself in communication
with it by hypnotic means and afterwards invoke its powers by verbal
suggestion, then, if telepathy be true, it ought of course to be possible
to influence it by similar suggestions conveyed telepathically instead
of verbally. What evidence have we for the existence of telepathy in
this instance ? Mr. Barrows states that while his patients rested quietly
in a chair he attempted to influence them by telepathic suggestion, but
previously he had verbally informed them that he was going to remove
their existing, or prevent their future, suffering. This suggestion was
conveyed in the most emphatic manner, with the assertion that the
predicted result was inevitable. Now the phenomena which occur in,
or after, hypnosis are not necessarily the result of suggestions made
during that condition. Dr. Bramwell had frequently hypnotised deaf
patients. With them all suggestions were made before hypnosis.
These were written and were of two kinds ; one indicated the hypnotic
phenomena the operator desired to induce, the other the curative results
that were to follow. These were as successful as verbal suggestions given
during hypnosis. Before admitting the possibility of telepathic influence,
one must demand the exclusion of other causes which have been proved
to be capable of producing like results. It was also worthy of note that
Mr. Barrows not only found in telepathy the cause of the phenomena he
described, but also their explanation. Granting that telepathy did exist
and that the messages were conveyed in that manner, this did not
explain the phenomena. It was a mere substitution of telepathic for
verbal suggestion, and it was well to remember what has been said by Mr.
Frederic Myers, namely, that the word suggestion did not explain the
phenomena of hypnosis, but was simply a definition of the artifice used
by the operator to evoke them.
MR. F. W. H. MYERS remarked that Mr. Barrows, as appeared from
the sense which he gave to the word "hypnotism," had assumed as
orthodox the opinions which prevailed a few years since in this rapidly
progressing subject. It was all the more interesting to observe that
his independent experiments had pointed in exactly the direction in
which the opinion of the best authorities had since been moving.
As to the connection between hypnotism and telepathy, on which
Mr. Barrows dwelt, he (the speaker) trusted that there might be further
occasions of discussion with Dr. Bramwell and other hypnotists on
that important point.
218 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAE., 1896.
G. P. BIDDER, Q.C.
We deeply regret to have to announce the loss of a valued member
of our Council, Mr. G. P. Bidder, Q.C., the news of whose death reached
us too late for announcement in the last number of the Journal. The
illness which prematurely cut short Mr. Bidder's vigorous and beneficent
life was due to an accident which occurred on the 9th of January, when
he was knocked down and run over by a horse and van in the streets
of Manchester. The injuries he received were not at the time regarded
as sufficient to prevent his continuing an arbitration case on which he
was engaged, and — after a few days' rest — resuming his professional
work in London. But a little more than a fortnight after the accident,
serious symptoms manifested themselves ; and after a few days' illness
— the course of which at first seemed hopeful — he died rather suddenly
on Saturday, February 1st.
Mr. George Parker Bidder was the eldest son of the celebrated
engineer of the same name. He graduated at Cambridge in 1858
as seventh Wrangler ; was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in
1860, became a Q.C. in 1874, and has been for several years one of
the leading Counsel at the Parliamentary Bar. But his work at
Westminster, though sufficiently laborious, did not by any means-
exhaust his overflowing energies; he was a man of keen and wide
intellectual interests and abundant public spirit, at once shrewd and
fearless in the defence of any cause that commended itself to hia
judgment. He always took a strong interest in the investigations
of the S.P.R., and has been a member of its Council almost since
the foundation of the Society : and the support and encouragement
that we derived from the adhesion to our cause of a mind like his,
trained in scientific reasoning, and at the same time possessing an
indisputable grasp of practical experience, was always felt by us to
be of great value. Nor will those of us who knew him in private life
easily forget the cordiality of his welcome, the bright, alert vigour of his
talk, the varied range of his interests or of his genuine philanthropy.
H. SlDGWICK.
EXPERIMENTAL DREAMS.
It has been already suggested in this Journal that it is desirable
to make more attempt than is usually made to suggest, control, and
analyse dreams. For this there are two main reasons, one practical
and one theoretical. From the point of view of practice, every advance
in self-suggestive power is of importance. The increase of central con-
trol over the nervous system is the prime achievement of education ;
MAE., 1896.] Experimental Dreams. 219
and that control may be pushed indefinitely further than has yet been
done. There is no direction in which it may not prove useful and
healthful to have not only the " warring members " but the warring
nerve-cells well in hand. The desirability of controlling not only the
induction but the quality of sleep is especially obvious. If, for instance,
men could wake at will from distressing dreams, or could guide them
into pleasanter channels, much pain would be spared which is none the
less real for what is called its unreality. In some cases the actual
onset of hysteria or insanity might by this means be delayed or
averted.
Few of us, however, can so rule ourselves as to proceed straight to
this practical end. To help us towards self-government in sleep we
need more knowledge of " such stuff as dreams are made of ;" and this
knowledge, again, from a theoretical point of view would be most
useful to the psychologist.
An interesting series of experiments is briefly reported by Dr. J.
Mourty-Vold, of Christiania, in the Revue de VHypnotisme for January,
1896. Professor Void has carried on for six or seven years two main
lines of inquiry; (1) as to the part played in dreams by the sense of
touch (contact and temperature) and the muscular sense ; (2) as to the
relation existing between objects looked at before sleeping and subse-
quent dreams.
Professor Void succeeded in collecting in Christiania groups of from
ten to forty educated persons of both sexes, to whom he explained the
experiments to be tried, without suggesting to them the results likely
to follow. Passing over a number of precautions and preliminaries, it
may suffice here to say that his volunteer dreamers went to bed either
with a foot and ankle so bound as to keep the foot bent in the position
of a person standing on tiptoe, or with several fingers tied together by
a string, or with a tight glove on one hand, or subject to some similar
" persistent stimulus." This persistent stimulus tended to represent
itself in dreams with more or less exactness, probably corresponding to
a lighter or deeper degree of sleep.
Thus (1) the subject may dream that he is standing on tiptoe, i.e.,
that his foot is curved, as in fact it is. Or (2) he may dream that he
is dancing ; thus interpreting the sensation of a curved foot in a way
corresponding to frequent experience. Or again (3) he may dream that he
sees some one else with curved foot, — thus showing a slight disaggrega-
tion of personality.
Or, finally, — omitting some intermediate grades, — he may dream of
abstract ideas related in some way to the position of the member.
If, say, three fingers are tied, he may dream of the number three, or
220 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAR., 1896.
six, or nine. This form of dream, by the way, reminds us of Binet's
cases where an anaesthetic patient, if pricked three times, feels nothing,
but has a hallucinatory vision of three black points. A symbolising
process has gone on, while the sensory brain-centres were too torpid to
give their message in any more direct way.
Professor Void's second line of experiments, — upon the effect of
colours seen before sleeping, — has also yielded some interesting results.
Colours looked at intently just before closing the eyes tend to reproduce
themselves in dream, or to reproduce their complementary colours.
"We have here an interesting intermediate point between true after-
images and memory-images. Compare Mr. Bakewell's experiments,
Proceedings, Vol. VIII., p. 450, where, after gazing at an object before
the final closure of eyes, he saw what appeared to him to be a positive
after-image of that object on opening his eyes for a moment upon a
plain white ceiling in the morning.
The experiments thus briefly summarised form only a small pro-
portion of the observations which might be made. Just as special
positions sometimes produce dreams not reproducing but symbolizing
the position, so may certain organic disturbances generate dreams
either plainly symbolical, or at any rate, by association significant of
those disturbances. Dr. Head's recent researches (Brain, 1895) into
the connection of specific peripheral pains with (often distant) organic
lesions prepare the way for a tracing of similar pathways which may
lead from the diseased organ to some apparently unconnected ideational
centre ; and indeed some such hidden concatenations have already been
roughly observed.
Another line of inquiry, with which I have dealt elsewhere, will be
concerned with the degree of visualising power, and the acuteness of
sensation of other kinds, in dream. And I should be glad to hear
of good specimens of dramatised or " proleptic " dreams, where (for
instance) a dream-personage asks a riddle which the dreamer himself
seems unable to guess until — still in the dream — he is told the
answer.
Especially to be desired is the power of knowing that one is dream-
ing, and yet continuing to dream. Could this faculty, which sometimes
crops up spontaneously for a few moments, be held fast and secured by
practice, we should have an opportunity even better than is afforded
by crystal visions of watching with one phase of our personality the
play of another. "I am the doubter and the doubt,"— as Emerson has
it, — "And I the hymn the Brahman sings." One would be at once the
dreamer and the dream, and the reporter thereof for the Society for
Psychical Research. F. W. H..M.
MAR., 1896.] Correspondence; 221
CORRESPONDENCE.
[The Editor is not, responsible for opinions expressed by Correspondents.]
DU MAGNJ-STISME ANIMAL." *
I.
I am much obliged to Mr. Walter Leaf for having called the attention of the
members of the Society for Psychical Research to the paper which I published
in the Nouvelle Revue under the title of " L'hypothese du magne'tisnie animal
d'apres des recherches re"centes." I only regret that he has not seen another
paper which I published in the July- August, 1895, number of the Annales
des Sciences Psychiques under the title of " Une nouvelle m^thode d'expe"ri-
rnentation pour verifier 1'action nerveuse a distance, " which would have, I
think, anticipated a large part of the objections which he has addressed to me:
indeed he would have seen in it with what precautions against simulation,
suggestion and thought-transference I have surrounded all my experiments.
Although this second article was published before the one in the Nouvelle
Revue, it was really written after it. I have reserved for it a perfectly new
*teries of experiments, which were made with a new subject, young Laurent,
•who is well known to the readers of the Annales des Sciences Psychiques.
These experiments have not only completely confirmed, in all essential points,
I/hose of my paper in the Nouvelle Revue, but they have even added some
new facts to them.
My critic blames me for using the term animal magnetism. I am not
ignorant of the fact that this name sounds badly in many ears, and I am
•quite ready to replace it by another which is less* in disrepute, for I do not
attach any importance to words for their own sake. Besides, I took pains
to explain in what way I meant that. ' ' He who admits that a physical
influence exercising itself at a distance between two living beings exists,
shows a belief in animal magnetism in its simplest and most general
form." And I have distinctly compared it with that of Braid and the
Paris, school (hypnotism) and also with that of Faria and the Nancy school
{suggestion). In any case, the facts which I have recorded do not seem to
me to be explicable unless we assume the existence of a physical influence
which is radiated from my organism to the nervous system of my subjects,
and which causes in them the observed phenomena (attraction, anaesthesia,
various sensations, etc.)
It is true that my critic does not offer any other explanation ; but he
seems to lean either toward " mind-reading by hypersesthesia " or toward
thought-transference. Nothing is easier than to thus vaguely insinuate
possible explanations, if one does not take the trouble to confront them with
.the facts. But I ask how either explanation can account for the first fact,
•which put me in the way of this new order of research and which was quite
incidental. My readers will forgive me for quoting it here : —
"One Sunday morning, he (Gustave P.) had just entered my study
and had seated himself at the side of my work-table on which his elbow
* See Proceedings S.P.R., Part XXIX;, p. 599.
222 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAB., 1896.
rested. While I was finishing a letter, he conversed with a third person,
toward whom he was half turned. I had put down my pen ; my arm, which
lay on the table with the fingers stretched out, was accidentally near his
elbow. To my great astonishment, I thought I saw his elbow slide toward
my hand, as if it were attracted. As the subject continued to talk and
seemed totally ignorant of what was happening, without saying a word, I
lifted my arm slightly, the subject's arm raised itself at the same time. But
as if the increase of the attraction had awakened his consciousness, Gustave
P. suddenly interrupted himself, carried his right hand to his left elbow
which he pulled rapidly back, and turning himself toward me, he exclaimed
' What are you doing to me ? ":
I ask how the subject could have guessed, at the beginning of the experi-
ment, my wish to attract his elbow, since this wish did not exist and since
the effect was produced without any prevision on my part.
My critic claims that these phenomena of attraction have no real analogy
with those of physical magnetism ' ' when we thinfc of the imitativeness
which is one of the common features of deep hypnotic trance." He forgets
three things, firstly, that my subject had his eyes hermetically bandaged,
and that all the persons present, when there were any, and myself kept the
most perfect silence, which therefore made it very difficult to guess the move-
ments to be imitated ; secondly, that the subject, far from being in a " deep
hypnotic trance," was perfectly awake from the beginning of the stance to
the end ; thirdly, that the attraction was produced when my hand, or the
copper wire, was perfectly still, and at a distance of 10 or 15 centimetres, so
that there was consequently 110 movement to imitate.
"In one case," adds my reviewer, "M. Boirac got a sort of polarity
between his hands; but his attempt to verify this in another subject proved
that it was not a property of any force emanating from himself, but the
result of some sub-conscious interpretation in the mind of the subject.
The experiments with the copper wire, if they prove anything, show that
the force cannot be conducted from one room to another like electricity."
I acknowledge that this polarity does not show itself with every subject,
nor even with the same subject at all times, From this it evidently follows
that it depends on some unknown and variable condition. But where is
the proof that this condition is "some sub-conscious interpretation in the
mind of the subject " 1 Even for this interpretation to be possible, the
subject, who (let us not forget it) is blindfolded, and to whom no suggestion
is made, must perceive a certain difference between the effects produced on
him by the right hand and the left hand of the operator ; but this very
difference itself is polarity. The explanation proposed by my respected
opponent, is, if I do not mistake it, what logicians call a ' ' circiilus
vitiosus."
As to the experiments with the copper wire, I must say that they are
not quoted very exactly — or perhaps my words have not been well under-
stood. I am made to say, " The effect was the same as that of the hand
itself, while M. Boirac remained in the room and could see what was going
on ; but when he tried from the next room, with the door closed between,
MAS., 1896.] Correspondence.
the characteristic symptoms seem to have given place to a general feeling
of malaise, and heaviness in the head." Now my statement was quite
different ; here is the passage : —
"I passed into another room ; the door was closed. I held one end, which
communicated by passing under the door with the persons who remained in
my study. The action of my hand was still transmitted, but the experiments
could not have the same degree of precision, as we were naturally ignorant
of each other's actions." (This signifies that the person in my study
observed the same phenomena of attraction and of pricking in the parts
of the subject's body to which they presented the wire, but without
my being able to personally verify the effects and see if they exactly
coincided with the action of my right and left hand.) "Still, when my
co-operator presented the end of the wire to the subject's forehead (I
underline forehead, for I had till then always avoided any action on the
brain, and I would even have dissuaded my co-operator, could I have guessed
his intention, from making this experiment, having imposed on myself a-
rule to always leave the subject in a waking state), the latter very rapidly
gave signs of great uneasiness, said that he felt his head becoming hot and
heavy, and raised his hand to his head as if to put aside this influence." I
therefore think that I can conclude that the experiments with the copper
wire, if they prove anything, show that the force can be conducted from one
room to another like electricity.
Now, Mr. Walter Leaf would doubtless prefer to see efiects of thought-
transference in all these phenomena. I am quite aware that thought-trans-
ference is fashionable, and that animal magnetism is not. But with all the
good will in the world, I cannot do otherwise than see in the first but a special
consequence and a complex form of the second — something like what the
telegraph and the telephone are to galvanic electricity. Unless we admit a
sort of mystic communication between different minds without any material
medium — and I doubt much, if this is the pet hypothesis of Mr. W. Leaf, if
he will ever succeed in getting for it "the ear of men of science," — I cannot
understand thought-transference, unless we suppose that one brain acts on
another through the medium of some physical agency, more or less like the
radiating and circulating forces of heat, light, and electricity.
My respected critic does not absolutely deny this hypothesis. " We know
far too little," he says, " to say that it is not so ; but I am not aware of any
experiments which tend to prove it." Let him re-read Jussieu's Report oil
Mesmerism ; he will see that it was just experiments of an order similar
to mine which caused him to feel bound to separate himself from the
other members of the Royal Commission who would not allow themselves
to admit any real action of one individual on another. The writings of W.
Gregory, Du Potet, Lafontaine and Dr. Bare"ty, will prove to him that facts
of this kind are not so rare as he believes. The only superiority which I
can claim for my experiments is that, being perhaps more au courant of the
effects of suggestion than the others whose names I have just mentioned,
I believe that I have taken, in spite of what Mr. Leaf says, more carefuL
precautions to eliminate this cause of error. I could also quote to him
224 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAR., 18%.
M. de Rochas' experiments on the exteriorisation of sensibility, which he
seems either to be ignorant of or to regard as non-existent, and which prove,
if they prove anything, the existence of a nervous radiation.
On the other hand, I agree with my respected critic that my article in
the Nouvdle Revue, having for principal object that of calling public attention
to an order of phenomena which is still but little known and little studied,
requires to be completed by a less popular, or, in other words, a more
scientific exposition, and I intend to satisfy this want when I shall have
collected a mass of experiments which will be sufficiently numerous and
coherent for conclusions which will be deduced from them not to be
doubted by anyone.
E. BOIRAC,
(Professeur agrege* de Philosophic, Dr.-es-lettres).
II.
M. Boirac's very courteous reply to my criticism has naturally received
full and friendly consideration on my part. Read in connexion with the
article in the Annales (published also in the Revue de I'Hypnotisme for
December last), that in the Nouvdle Rewie undoubtedly gives a more favour-
able impression of M. Boirac's method, than when taken by itself. M.
Boirac's attitude makes me confident that he will recognise my sincere wish
for a high standard in such investigations, if I still, after all that he has
written, retain my opinion that considerations which he has left out of view
are indispensable, before we can accept, even provisionally, the startling
conclusions to which he has come. I certainly regret if I have seemed to
say anything to discourage experiment. But I do maintain, with the utmost
seriousness, that nothing is more likely to hurt the cause which both M.
Boirac and I have at heart, than the premature publication of uncompleted
experiments in popular magazines, and in this view I am glad to see from
his concluding paragraph M. Boirac himself agrees. We shall all await
with the greatest interest the fuller publication which he promises.
The differences of principle between M. Boirac and myself turn mainly
on the adequacy of the precautions which he regards as sufficient to exclude
(1) reading of insignificant indications by the subject ; and (2) thought-
transference.
The precautions described by M. Boirac, such as blindfolding, silence,
and so on, are probably sufficient to preclude the obvious methods of mere
gross cheating. But is he adequately on his guard against the more subtle
means by which indications can be gained, often unconsciously, from slight
movements, breathing, and so forth 1 Is it certain, for instance, that a
sensitive subject cannot by the sensation of warmth detect at a distance of
10 or 15 centimetres (4 or 6 inches) the part of his body at which the
operator's hand is being directed ? The blindfolding is of no importance
here ; for it is well-known that the most successful " thought-readers," who
depend on their skill in detecting such minute indications, find that blind-
folding is a positive assistance.
MAR., 1896.] Correspondence. 225
But I willingly admit that this hypothesis does not offer a complete
explanation of M. Boirac's experiments. M. Boirac says that he has taken
pains to exclude thought-transference. I have looked in vain for an account
of his precautions. It is true that he gives as one of his conditions — " Tacher
de combiner les experiences de telle fac,on que 1'operateur lui-meme, au
moins la premiere fois qu'il les fait, ne puisse pas prevoir quel en sera le
resultat et n'en soit informe que par Tissue " ; but he does not tell us how
he attains this end, nor how he prevents the operator from expecting or
desiring a particular result, even if he does not know that he will obtain it.
And, in fact, all his experiments fall admirably into the series of those which
have been for many years carried on by various members of the S.P.R.
Some of them are indeed identical in result ; for instance, the stiffening and
anaesthesia of a finger steadily pointed at without contact by the operator
was obtained in 1883 (Proceedings S.P.R., Vol. I., p. 257 ; see also Vol. II.,
p. 201 ; Vol. III., p. 453 ; Vol. V., p. 14). The Committee on Mesmerism in
that year were, like M. Boirac, inclined to favour the theory of an " effluence;"
but the most recent experiments, those of Mrs. Sidgwick and Miss Alice
Johnson, recorded in Vol. VIII. , pp. 577-596, have led those careful observers
to the distinct conclusion (p. 579) that " the true explanation of the results
is thought-transference or mental suggestion." Will not M. Boirac try some
further experiments to eliminate the possible effects of his own wishes and
expectation ? He will find abundant suggestions in the various papers
referred to and in Dr. Moll's elaborate series of experiments recorded in his
" Rapport in der Hypnose " where the question of effluence is fully investi-
gated ; and he will doubtless on reflexion see the absolute necessity of the
"control experiments," which have so far not been mentioned in his
published papers.
With regard to the experiment of the copper wire, I fear that I must
still maintain my previous opinion. If the effluence were conducted like
electricity, the interposition of a copper wire should have made no appreci-
able difference to the phenomena. But in fact the phenomena immediately
iost their ' 'precision" : and what was observed is exactly what one would have
expected on the supposition that the subject was guided by the reading of
•minute indications, aided probably by a certain amount of thought-trans-
ference. When M. Boirac retires into the next room, the subject knows that
:something is expected of him ; he detects, presumably by the movements of
M. Boirac's colleague, that it has something to do with his head ; but he is
no longer able to read precisely what is meant, and his feelings naturally
express themselves in a general malaise connected with his forehead.* Has
(Continued on p. 228.)
* I am sorry if M. Boirac thinks that I did not properly represent what happened
in this experiment ; but I confess that I do not quite clearly understand it even after
his explanation. Does he mean that the polar effects were as distinctly perceived
as before, and that the "want of precision" refers only to the difficulty of ascertaining
that that they were synchronous with his changes of hand ? This> if it is so, siould
be less ambiguously stated.
226 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAE., 1896.
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(Continued from p. 225.)
M. Boirac tried the simple control experiment of getting a third person to-
make and break contact in the wire at intervals unknown both to himself
and the subject ?
Nor can I even admit that the apparently unconscious production of
attraction when first noticed by M. Boirac is such as to exclude thought-
transference ; for all we can tell, the movements of the elbow which caught
his attention may have been purely fortuitous ; the instant that they had
suggested to him the idea of attraction, thought-transference is no longer
impossible.
On the general question of " effluence" versus thought-transference, I am
not sure that I understand M. Boirac's position. From his original account
I concluded that he considered the nervous radiation to act upon the peripheral
nervous system of the subject, whether directly or by locally affecting the
actual molecules of the body at the point to which it was directed, bub in any
case without any intervention of the subject's brain. The thought-transference
hypothesis, on the other hand, as I understand it, regards that brain as an
essential link in the chain ; every mental suggestion involves as one step
something in the nature of the interpretation of a symbol. How it is possible
to see in the second only "a special consequence and complex form" of the
first, I do not understand. The intervention of a psychic link seems to me
to set the two hypotheses poles asunder. True, the words ' ' unless we suppose
that one brain acts on another through the medium of some physical agency "
would appear to imply that M. Boirac does assume the intervention of the
brain of the subject ; but the whole tendency of his experiments and of the
rest of his argument points in the opposite direction. What else is the
meaning of his wish to eliminate thought-transference as a possible factor ?
And it is just because the earlier experimenters to whom he refers were
ignorant of this highly important factor that I find it impossible to accept
their conclusions as of any validity at the present day.
WALTER LEAF.
No. CXXVIIL— VOL. VII. APRIL, 18!)G.
JOURNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGE
New Associates 229
Meeting of the Council 230
Eusapia Paladino 230
General Meeting 231
Experiments in Thought-transference at a Distance 234
Cases . 23&
NEW ASSOCIATES.
ATKINSON, HENRY, 48, Parliament-hill-road, Hampstead, N.W.
MEDEIROS E ALBUQUERQUE, JOSE DE, Rua S. Christovam, 36, Rio
Janeiro, Brazil.
TERRILL, GEORGE MORTON, M.D., 336, Post-street, San Francisco,
California, U.S.A. (President of the California Psychical Society.)
WADE, REV. WILLIAM, 19, St. Charles'-square, North Kensington, W.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
BARBER, FREDERICK C., 404, Fourth-street, Brooklyn, N.Y.
BOOTH, MRS. LUCY C., Great Barrington, Mass.
CHAFFIE, Miss H. A., 939, Guaranty Loan Building, Minneapolis, Minn.
CHILD, S. R., Lumber Exchange, Minneapolis, Minn.
FORM AN, G. A., 6, Hilton Block, Cambridge, Mass.
GROSS, MRS. S. E., 48, Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, 111.
HALL, A. R., M. A., Morgan Hall, 1,713, Nicollet-ave., Minneapolis, Minn.
HAPGOOD, MRS. CHARLES H., Alton, 111.
JENNISON, JAMES, 306, Guaranty Loan Building, Minneapolis, Minn.
LIBRARIAN, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn.
NORTON, MRS. F. L., 186, Beacon-street, Boston, Mass.
RAMSDELL, REV. FRANK E., Gardner, Mass.
RAND, WM. H., 3,937, Lake-avenue, Chicago, 111.
RUDDIMAN, J. C., 247, 27th-avenue, N., Minneapolis, Minn.
SAWYER, EDWARD A., M.D., Gardner, Mass.
SHREVE, MRS. WM. P., 3, Richter-terrace, Beacon-st., Brookline, Mass.
SMITH, HERBERT W., 320, Corn Exchange, Minneapolis, Minn.
ST. JOHN, DR. J. C., 608, Nicollet-a venue, Minneapolis, Minn.
230 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [APR., 1896.
SWENSON, J. H., 811, 25th-avenue, N., Minneapolis, Minn.
WHITING, Miss TILLIE M., 686, President-street, Brooklyn, N.Y.
WILLIAMS, MARSHALL S. P., 1,372, Beacon-street, Brookline, Mass.
WINTER, MRS. W., 17, Third-ave., New Brighton, Staten Island, N.Y.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Council was held at the Society's Rooms,
19, Buckingham Street, W.C., on Friday, March 13th. Mr. R.
Pearsall Smith was voted to the chair. There were also present, Sir
Augustus K. Stephenson, Q.C., Dr. Abraham Wallace, and Messrs.
F. W. H. Myers, F. Podmore, and H. Arthur Smith.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and signed as correct.
Four new Associates were elected, whose names and addresses are
given above.
The election of twenty-two new Associates of the American Branch
was recorded.
The Council recorded with regret the death of Mr. G. P. Bidder,
Q.C., who for many years had been a Member of the Council ; also
the death of Mr. H. G. Gurney, a Member of the Society.
At the request of Mr. John G. Haggard, his name was transferred
from the list of Members to that of Associates.
The House and Finance Committee presented a report, accompanied
by estimates of the Income and Expenditure of the Society for the
current year. The full discussion of the report was adjourned to the
next meeting of the Council.
Various other matters having been discussed, it was agreed that
the next meeting of the Council should be on Friday, April 24th, at
3 p.m., at the Westminster Town Hall, previous to the General
Meeting arranged for that day.
EUSAPIA PALADINO.
It will be seen that at our last meeting a question was asked with
regard to " phenomena " obtained by Eusapia Paladino subsequent to
the exposure of her frauds at Cambridge. It may be well that I
should briefly state why I do not intend to give any account of these
phenomena.
It has not been the practice of the S.P.R. to direct attention to
the performances of any so-called " medium " who has been proved
guilty of systematic fraud. Now, the investigation at Cambridge, of
APB., 1896.] General Meeting. 231
which the results are given in the Journal for November, 1895, taken
In connexion with an article by Professor Richet in the Annales des
.Sciences Psychiques for Jan.-Feb., 1893, placed beyond reasonable
doubt the fact that the frauds discovered by Dr. Hodgson at
Cambridge had been systematically practised by Eusapia Paladino for
years. In accordance, therefore, with our established custom, I propose
to ignore her performances for the future, as I ignore those of other
persons engaged in the same mischievous trade.
H. SIDGWICK.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 78th General Meeting of the Society was held at the West-
minster Town Hall on Friday, March 13th, at 8.30 p.m., Mr. R.
Pearsall Smith in the chair.
A paper on " Sub-conscious Reasoning," by Dr. WM. ROMAINE NEW-
BOLD, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania,
was read for the author by Mr. F. W. H. MYERS. It is intended to
publish this paper in the forthcoming number of the Proceedings.
It contains some remarkable instances of problems solved during
sleep; — in one case with the dramatic intervention of an Assyrian
priest, who explains the nature of certain agate objects, and the
inscription thereon, in a way previously unsuspected, but afterwards
proved to be correct. It was, however, shown that all the facts on
which the dream-solution was ultimately based had been previously
known to, although some of them had been forgotten by, the dreamer.
Mr. PAGE HOPPS remarked that when dreams, such as one which
.he had himself had, were premonitory of future events, the ingenious
•explanations of Professor Newbold would not apply.
On some incidental points in Professor Newbold's paper, Mr.
F. W. H. MYERS made remarks to the following effect : —
" Professor Newbold has touched upon two classes of dreams,
which he seems to regard as both of them involving what he terms ' a
translocation of the time series/ the conclusion having been first
given, and the dream constructed backwards, in a kind of time-
hallucination. It does not seem clear to me that the two groups of
dreams stand on the same footing in this respect. First comes the
group where one definite noise or shock seems to have generated a
long and complex dream leading up to the shock, as when the bed-pole
fell on Maury's neck, and he had a long dream of the Reign of Terror,
ending with his being guillotined. Here I fully agree that there has
foeen a kind of retroactive hallucination ; that the previous incidents
232 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [APR.,
have in some way been developed from the shock itself, and have-
passed through the brain with unusual rapidity, and during the very
act of waking. The problem thus involved gains in interest as we
become more capable of measuring the normal speed of thought, and it
is to be wished that any one waking from a dream of this type would at
once record all the details which he can remember with certainty, so
that we might the better judge how far that rush of images must be
held to have transcended normal rapidity.
" The second group consists of dreams which (like the dream of the
Assyrian priest) lead up to a denouement which does not itself depend
upon any sudden external stimulus. Here also Professor Newbold
seems to think that the dream is not really presented in time as a
forward-rolling story, — a 'mystification by the sub-conscious self,' as he1
terms it, — but is, as in the first group, projected backwards by a retro-
active hallucination, from the moment when the perception of the-
culminant fact shapes itself in the dreaming brain. I do not think this;
hypothesis needful ; since all dream is more or less dramatic, and an,
ordinary dream often consists of a stream of incidents, unexpected by the
dreamer, but linked to one another, as he can discern when awake, by
obscure associations of thought. In these ordinary cases, the dream is-
surely unrolling straight on in the normal process of time ; and the
trivial puzzles and solutions which occur in its course are analogous.
to the more interesting puzzle and solution of the Assyrian inscription.
Indeed, all dreams, if any, must be classed as ' mystifications by the
sub-conscious self,' since in all dreams there is at least so much scission
of personality that the stream of events appears objective and
distinct from the dreamer's subjective perception of them. Nor is
there any obvious limit of such dramatic dream-severance of strata of
the self. Here also new and careful observations might have a real
psychological interest."
" Miss X " rose to suggest that from no point of view were dreams
more interesting than in their analogy with the waste products of the
mind, with meaningless crystal visions, or idle fancies, or the often
incoherent or foolish statements of automatic writers and table-tilting
" mediums." These, it seemed obvious, were much on a level, so far as
their psychic value was concerned. But just as in such externalisa-
tions of mind action, so in dreams, one often found traces of more
valuable sub-conscious activity, and she proceeded to quote a case
which had lately come under her immediate notice.
" Miss X " had been called \tpon one morning in February to
interview a clerk from the Inland Revenue Office in the absence of the
member of the household for whom his visit was intended. He had
APR., 1896.] General Meeting. 233
called to request that certain papers — of which " Miss X " personally
knew nothing — which related to a claim for a return of Income Tax,
should be forwarded to his office. No mention was made of any
amount. " Miss X " delivered the message. On the night of February
28th her friend dreamt that the sum of eleven and eightpence had
been returned to her, and next day, after making a note of the fact,*
she, as a matter of curiosity, proceeded to calculate the amount due,f
which proved to be eleven and eightpence. She had never but once
before made a similar claim, and on that occasion it had been for the
arrears of three years and had amounted to between 29 and 30 shillings,
so that it was not a case of sub-conscious memory. The tax-collector's
visit had no reference to this particular claim.
The next paper read consisted of selections from DR. HODGSON'S
" Notes on Further Trance Phenomena with Mrs. Piper." Time admitted
of the reading of a few cases only, which will, it is hoped, be printed
along with others in a future number of the Proceedings.
The CHAIRMAN remarked upon the unusual felicity of the com-
bination of an observer so acute and so skilled in the detection of
fraud as Dr. Hodgson, with a sensitive of the exceptional powers of
Mrs. Piper. In his belief, there had never before existed a conjunc-
ture from which so much of sound and cautious psychical discovery
was likely to spring. He regarded it as one of the very first duties
of the Society to work this vein to the utmost ; and he felt much
satisfaction in the thought that, after some eight years of patient
and persistent observation, the resultant phenomena were both in
themselves more interesting, and also sustained by a greater mass of
testimony, than at any previous period. He hoped that a second visit
of Mrs. Piper to Europe might at some time be arranged.
* The Original memorandum ; — " 11/8 ", — written before the papers referred to
'below were opened, — is now in our possession.
t The lady in question adds: — " March 2lst, 1896. — This involved the collection
from three different places of six separate papers, which had been put away un-
•opened as they had come from the Bank, and which contained memoranda of the
following separate amounts : — Is. 6d., Is. 6d., 2s. 4d., 2s., 2s., 2s. 4d., total, lls. 8d.,
•which are sufficiently varied to complicate the probabilities of chance-coincidence.
The usual date for sending in such claims being April, the papers would not have
been looked at for some time, but for the dream.
"I wish to add that 'Miss X.'s' account of the dream is perfectly correct. I
wrote to her about it the day after. I think it possible that the impulse to dream
about so trifling a fact may have arisen from my having decided that day, in response
to a friend who asked for help in a benevolent purpose, that I would give to it the
sum which should be returned from the Revenue Office.
"CONSTANCE MOORB.'
234 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [APR., 1896,
Mr. PAGE HOPPS inquired whether it was intended to invite any
member of the S.P.R. to summarize the account in the Annales des
Sciences Psychiques of the phenomena obtained by Eusapia Paladino
in France ; to which Mr. Myers replied that he understood that, in the
view of the Editor of the S.P.R. Proceedings and Journal, the task
suggested might be more fitly left to some other organ.
EXPERIMENTS IN THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE
AT A DISTANCE.
We have often urged on members of the Society the importance of
trying experiments in thought-transference with agent and percipient
so far separated that the latter cannot be guided by unconscious
indications of any kind given by the former, which it is impossible to-
make sure of excluding when the two persons are together in the same
room. Some of the most striking successes so far published are
quoted in Mr. F. Podmore's Apparitions and Thought-transference,
Chapter V., and though they are not numerous, it must be remembered
that probably very few experiments of the kind have ever been made.
While the amount of success hitherto obtained is sufficient ta
encourage further effort, a good deal more is wanted before the theory
of telepathy can be established on the same footing as other scientific
generalisations.
In the hope therefore that further effort will be made, we print
the following short series of experiments, carried out by two ladies,
Miss Campbell and Miss Despard, who have previously made successful
attempts (see Journal S.P.R., Vol. VI., pp. 4-9).
It will be seen that the value of these experiments depends on the*
descriptions of the witnesses having been written by each before com-
paring notes with the other. All the letters quoted, with the envelopes
corresponding to the first two of them, are in our possession.
Miss Despard describes the general conditions of the experiments
thus : —
Agent in Surbiton, Percipient in London, W.C. district, distance about
14 miles.
Agreed upon: — Agent to concentrate attention at llp.m. ; percipient
to then write down any impression received. Experiments to begin on
December 27th, 1895 ; one experiment each night, alternately an object
and a diagram. December 31st to be omitted.
The first account is a letter written from Surbiton by the agentr
Miss Despard, to Miss Campbell in London.
APR., 1896.] Thought-transference at a Distance. 235
Strathmore, Surbifcon Hill Park, Surbiton.
December 27th, 1895. 11.30p.m.
DEAR K. — As you know, we agreed a few days ago to try some experi-
ments in thought-transference, — to begin to-night at 11 p.m., — alternate
nights to think of an object and a diagram. So to-night I fixed my attention
about 11.4 p.m. on a brass candlestick with a lighted candle in it. I feel the
result will not be very satisfactory, for I found difficulty in concentrating my
mind, and not having decided previously what object to think of, I looked
over the mantlepiece first and rejected two or three things before fixing on
the candlestick. A very noisy train was also distracting my attention, so I
wonder if you will think of that.
December 28th, 11.45 p.m. — I thought of this diagram, [a cross inscribed
in a triangle] the [triangle] in thick black, and the cross inside in lighter.
December 29th, 11.40 p.m. I hope this will be more successful. I found
to-night I could bring up a much clearer mental picture of the object, — a
small Bristol ivare jug about six inches high, the lower part being brownish
red, of a metallic coppery colour, the upper part having a band of reddish
and light purple flowers of a somewhat conventional rose pattern — handle
greenish. I do not think you have seen this jug, as it has been put away in
a cupboard and only lately brought out. I saw the jug chiefly by bright fire
light.
December 30th, 12 midnight. I am very tired and fear the result is vague;
this is the diagram.
My mental image was not as correct, but tended to slope up to the right.
Let me know your impressions soon. — Yours, &c.,
R. C. DESPARD.
The corresponding account of the percipient, Miss Campbell, is as
follows : —
77, Chesterton-road, W.,
December 29th, 1895.
DEAR R., — I have nothing very satisfactory to report. I am sorry to say
I quite forgot on the 27th about our projected experiments until I was just
getting into bed, when I suddenly remembered, and just then I heard a train
making a great noise, and as I have never noticed it like that before, I
wondered if it was one of your trains. I could not fix my mind on any
object, but clock, watch, bath, all flitted past, and the circle of firelight in
the front room ; the only word that came to me was " sand " and a sound like
It or q at beginning of a word (you know I as often hear the name of the
object as see the thing itself). I stopped, for it seemed ridiculous, but you
must have attracted my attention, for just after I stopped I heard the clock
236 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [APR., 1896.
here strike the half hour, and found next morning it was twenty minutes
fast, so when I "suddenly remembered," it must have been just after
eleven.
Last night I believe you forgot, for I had no strong impression, but you
see the paper enclosed.* The scribbles in corner my pencil did without me;
the rectangle I believe was a guess ; as for the circle, my pencil would go
round and round in the centre making that spot, the circle itself being a
very shadowy impression.
11.15p.m. The first thing that came into my mind was a sponge, but I
think that was suggested by the sound of water running in the bath-room,
and next I had more distinctly an impression of a reddish metallic lustre,
and I thought it must be the Moorish brass tray on May's mantlepiece ; but
at last I saw quite distinctly a small jug of a brownish metallic appearance
below, with above that a white band with coloured flowers, lilac and crimson,
on it. I can't be sure what it was like at the top, for that seemed to be in
shadow and seemed to be darkish, — perhaps like the bottom, but I saw no
metallic gleam. I don't remember anything like this among May's things,
but the impression was so vivid I describe it.
3Qth, 11.15 p.m. Thought vaguely of a triangle and figure like this,
^ but no vivid impression ; if you were thinking of any figure at
^^f^^^ &llj were also thinking of something else.
i i 31st. I send you this as far as it goes and shall be glad to
;3j ^ hear from you with your accounts. — Yours,
f^^ C. M. CAMPBELL.
15, Heathcote-street, W.C.
The post-marks on the envelope of Miss Despard's letter to Miss
Campbell show that the letter was stamped at Kingston-on-Thames
at midday of December 31st (and therefore was posted before that
hour) and arrived in London on January 1st.
The post-marks on the envelope of Miss Campbell's reply are
unfortunately illegible in parts. They show that the letter was posted
in London before 3.15 p.m. (date illegible) and arrived at Kingston-
on-Thames on December 31st, at 6.45. The mark being partly cut
off by the edge of the envelope did not show whether it was at 6.45 a.m.
or p.m., but the post-office official who informed us of the meaning
of the letters used in the marks was strongly of opinion that it must
have been p.m., since the letter started from London at 3.15 p.m. He
thought this showed that the illegible date on the London post-mark
should have been December 31st, since a letter posted before 3.15 p.m.
in London would, in the ordinary course of things, reach Kingston
the same evening. He was of course simply asked to give an inde-
pendent opinion about the post-marks, without knowing what dates
* The diagram enclosed is not at all similar to the agent's figure.
APR., 1896.] Thought-transference at a Distance. 237
were written on the letters within, which, it will be observed, coincide
with his opinion.
Thus the post-marks prove that Miss Campbell posted her letter
before receiving Miss Despard's ; and tend strongly to prove that Miss
Despard posted hers before receiving Miss Campbell's.
Five more experiments were made, of which the following is the
agent's account : —
Strathmore, Surbiton.
January 1st, 1896. 11.40 p.m.
DEAR K. — Have thought of a small dog's whip hung on M.'s wall, but did
not see it clearly, kept thinking of it in use; was in E.'s room, looking at
:some dresses, and could not give whole attention to it.
January 2nd. 11.15 p.m. — Thought of small almanac with a picture of
pink roses on it.
January 3rd. 11.30p.m. — Thought of [a diagram.]
January ±th. — Thought of the basket-work armchair ; visualised it very
badly.
January 5th, Sunday. 11.10p.m. — [A diagram], not good.
I am, sincerely yours,
R. C. DESPARD.
The percipient, Miss Campbell, wrote as follows. Her envelope
was addressed to Miss Despard at Surbiton, but apparently not posted
for the reason given in her final sentence.
15, Heathcote-street, W.C.
January 1st, 1896. 11.10p.m. — [Sketch of a capital S, the upper part
sloping to the right and the lower to the left]. First I had inclination to let
my pen wriggle, then saw large capital S, and heard sound of letter, though
this was most probably imagination.
January 2nd. 11.30 p.m. — Had a very vivid impression of your walking
up to the chest of drawers in your room, opening the top drawer and touching
those velvet and lace straps, as if you were meditating what you could think
of, and looking in front of you at the little glass-fronted bookcase ; then
there was a small scrimmage between the cat and the dog from down-
stairs and I lost the thread ; but next seemed to be touching a book — no, a
single leaf, a sheet of writing paper, and then it seemed to be pink and
blotty ; but it all seemed very aimless and I had a bad headache, so could
not concentrate attention well.
January 3rd. 11.30 p.m. — I saw the following in succession [four
diagrams, not resembling that of agent.] I had a curious impression of a
dark blue colour with a wave of lighter blue going through, not attached to
any substance.
January 6th. — To conclude this before I see you. I was reading on
Saturday, 4th, and forgot all about experiment till I finished my story at
•quarter to twelve. Did you think of anything on Sunday? I was late
238 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [APR., 1896.
returning from C.Rd., and it struck eleven just as I came out of King's
Cross Station; thought of nothing definite. — Yours,
C. M. CAMPBELL.
Will post this if you do not return to-day.
Some points in these experiments seem especially noteworthy : — (1)
that the impression, though visual on the part of the agent, seemed often
to be externalised in an auditory form by the percipient ; (2) that
the experiments with objects were more successful than those with
diagrams, possibly because the agent may unconsciously have taken
more interest in them ; (3) that the experiments where the agent was
conscious, as recorded at the time, of a failure to visualise the object
clearly or to concentrate her mind on it, were generally unsuccessful
(see experiments of January 1st, 4th, and 5th). In the experiment
with the brown jug, on December 29th, the detailed correspondence
of the percipient's impression with the real object was certainly
remarkable, while it is evident from the agent's description, that
her mental image of it was decidedly clearer than usual.
CASES.
L. 998. Dream.
The following is a recent case of apparent telepathic clairvoyance,,
which, as will be observed, rests on unusually good evidence, since it
was noted before verification, while the full account of it was written
from notes made immediately after, by our colleague, Professor A.
Alexander. He says, in sending the account from Rio Janeiro : —
February 4th, 1896.
My informant, Senhor Nascimento, is a life member of the " Society of
Arts," and received his technical education in London.
Rio, February 3rd, 1896.
A recent case of apparent clairvoyance has been communicated to me-
by a Brazilian engineer, called Jos6 Custodio Fernandes do Nascimento,
who is himself the percipient. I have been acquainted with this gentleman
for several years and know him to be a careful and trustworthy witness.
It will be seen that he has enabled me also to give direct testimony to the
care with which he has provided for proper evidence.
In thus proceeding, he endeavours to atone for former laxness, inasmuch
as some seven or eight years ago he failed to take adequate note of a
probably veridical dream, in which he seemed to be trying to escape with his
family from the deck of a burning vessel, and to witness the jumping over-
board of a man whose clothes had caught fire. A telegram from a northern
Brazilian port subsequently gave the news that about that time fire had
broken out on board a certain vessel and that on the occasion some:
APE., 1896.] Cases. 232
individual had in reality jumped into the sea, more or less in the manner
perceived in the dream.
Shortly after three p.m. on Saturday, January llth, 1896, I met Senhor
Nascimento in the Rua do Ouvidor in this city, and he at once gave me
verbal particulars of a second experience of the kind, which he had had on
that very date.
He stated that, as the result of slackness in his business, he had lately
been straitened for want of means and had felt this impecuniosity all the
more that his eldest daughter is shortly to be married to the son of a Don J. ,
a merchant resident in Montevideo.
On the preceding evening of the 10th, the young man J. came to visit his
fiancee at the usual hour, and mentioned that a letter from his father was
waiting for Senhor Nascimento in the Rua da Alfandega at the firm of Jorge
Bias Brothers, the correspondents in Rio of Don J. He had not brought it
himself, as it was to be delivered to Senhor Nascimento personally.
My informant awoke on the following morning at an early hour, and fell
again into a state of slumber between 5 and 6 o'clock. He then dreamt
that he had called at Dias Brothers and that they handed him a present from
Don J. of one conto of reis (about £40), which he was so glad to receive that
he embraced the members of that firm with an effusion of tears. In the
dream he seemed to count the money.
He rose with the conviction that his vision would be realised, although
no ordinary reasons concurred to make him suppose that such would be the
case. This belief led him to write down on a slip of paper (which is
herewith enclosed) the following; note : —
"Sonhei que'ao ir receber a carta dos Senhores Jorge Dias estes me
entregaram a somma de 1 : 000 $ 000 de reis, e que eu commovido abracei-os
chorando." 11-1-96.
( " I dreamt that on going to receive the letter from Senhores Jorge Dias,
the latter delivered to me the sum of 1 : 000 $ 000 of reis, and that I, being
moved, embraced them with tears." 11-1-96.)
Senhor Nascimento said nothing to his wife or children about the dream.
He merely put the above note under other papers in a pigeon-hole of his
bureau, which he then locked. He went into town ; called at half past ten
at the house of Jorge Dias Brothers, and received the letter, which he
afterwards opened in the street. This letter he showed to me when we met.
In it Don J. makes a present of one conto of reis to his future daughter-in-
law, and instructs Senhor Nascimento to draw the money at the house of John
Moore and Co. of this city. This sum Senhor Nascimento had duly received
about 1 o'clock on that day, and he invited me to accompany him home to
verify what he had stated regarding the note taken in the morning. The
conto of reis was shown to me ; the bureau was opened in my presence, and
the slip of paper was taken out of the pigeon-hole and immediately delivered
into my keeping.
On Monday the 13th, I returned for further information. By direct
questioning, Senhor Nascimento had learnt that his friends, the Dias Brothers,
were not aware of the contents of the letter at the time of its receipt. A
240 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [APR., 1896.
similar declaration was made in my hearing by the young man J., who added,
however, that he had afterwards (i.e., at an hour later than that of the
dream) been informed by a brother of his what their father had done.
John Moore and Co. are not personally known to my informant. J.'s
brother has no other connection with him than that established by the
coming union between the families, and yet the dream coincided with the
arrival of the letter at Rio and not with its despatch from Montevideo. The
circumstances of the case, then, seem to render the explanation by clair-
voyance more plausible than that by telepathy.
Senhor Nascimento states that, although he sometimes has waking
presentiments, the two dreams above narrated are the only vivid ones of the
kind he recollects having had in his experience. He does not remember
ever receiving similarly positive indications in a vision, which have remained
unfulfilled.
(The above is written out from notes taken by me on the date of the
occurrence.)
A. ALEXANDER.
Professor Alexander's account is confirmed as follows by the
percipient : —
Rio, February 3rd, 1896.
I can testify to the fulness and exactness of all the details above given.
I still have a vivid remembrance of the dream of the burning vessel, the
confirmation of which came on the same day. A man was reported to have
jumped overboard with his clothes on fire, just as I saw him in my dream.
I reside at No. 33, Travessa de Sao Salvador, Haddock Lobo, half-an-
hour's journey from town in the tramcars, and I never come home during
the course of the day.
JOSE" C. FERNANDES DO NASCIMENTO.
The original note, made by Senhor Nascimento on the morning
after his dream and before its verification was sent to us by Professor
Alexander, and is now in our possession.
L. 999. Experimental Thought-transference.
The following are some experimental cases received from Dr. A. S.
Wiltse, in which he himself was the percipient, and which are interest-
ing especially in connexion with his numerous other experiences of the
same kind (see the Journal for February, 1896).
Lancing, Morgan Co., Tenn. April 3rd, 1894.
MY DEAR DR. HODGSON, — I enclose a couple of statements, which I
have been waiting for an opportunity to get for some time.
In statement 2, I will say that, as to the identity of Mrs. S. and the
city of Cleveland, the knowledge was only inferred from existing circum-
stances. I simply saw image of a woman in a city, and guessed at the rest.
A. S. WILTSE.
APR., 1896.] Cases. 241
Buck Lick, Morgan Co., Tenn., April 1st, 1894.
RICHARD HODGSON, LL.D., — DEAR SIR, — Some time since, my husband,.
A. J. Howard, was hunting deer. Dinner hour came, and at table I said,
I wished I knew whether he was where he could get any dinner. Dr. Wiltse
was at the table, and said he could apparently see him in the woods on the
high bank of a creek, at a point of the creek that was full of rocks, and that
he was on the left bank. We noted the hour, and when my husband
returned, without telling him, we asked him to describe the ground upon
which he was hunting at that hour, as nearly as he could judge of the time of
day. He studied a little, and described the very place Dr. Wiltse had
described. It was five miles off from us.
On the same day he told several people who were here what object they
were thinking of, that is to say, if they told the truth. Certainly he was
right in my own case in the experiment.
Very recently my husband was attending court in an adjoining county,
and had been gone several days when the doctor came and was much
disappointed at finding him absent. After waiting a couple of days for him,
he said one evening, "Jackson has settled his affair in some way that pleases
him, and has started home." He then went on to describe the court house
and the street, and said my husband had stopped in the street and was
talking to three or four men who were some distance from him ; that he was
coming only part way home that evening, and would stay over night at a
house on the left of the road coming towards us. All this turned out correct,
except the side of the road, which was wrong as to the new road, but right as
to the old road upon which the house was originally built.
MARY HOWARD.
Buck Lick, Tennessee, April 1st, 1894.
R. HODGSON, LL.D., — DEAR SIR, — Mary Howard is my mother, and I
was present at the incidents she has described, and have read her version of
them, which is substantially correct. On the same day of the hunting:
incident, Doctor Wiltse undertook to tell me what object I was thinking [of].
After sitting some time with his eyes covered, he said, ' ' Come back from
Cleveland and leave Mrs. S. alone, and tend to your team and waggon." I
got up and said, ' ' I will never give you another chance at me, for I am afraid
you will tell something I don't want you to." I had commenced thinking of
a team and waggon, but had wandered in mind to the lady friend in Cleveland.
Since witnessing these things I would not believe there was no such thing as
mind-reading [if] a thousand men swore it. Q< p HOWARD
Buck Lick, April 1st, 1894.
I hereby certify that I heard the above incidents related by my wife and
son at the time substantially as they are here written.
A. J. HOWARD.
Dr. "Wiltse writes further : —
Lancing, Morgan Co., Tenn., December llth, 1894.
MY DEAR DR. HODGSON, — Replying to your communication, will say
that the accounts as stated are correct. As to the position of Mr. Howard
242 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [APR., 1896.
upon the two different occasions, although so correctly described, I had
no knowledge of them, as I had never visited either place so far as I
am aware, although in some of my frequent hunts I may have passed
them.
It ought to be borne in mind that in many of these experiments it is
impossible to carry them out on exactly satisfactory grounds, as many of the
Agents cannot write. In such cases, I write my own part and then question
the agent before telling my own side. This enables me to conclude as to
success or failure of experiment. — Yours truly,
A. S. WILTSE.
The next case was received by Dr. Hodgson in a letter from Dr.
Wiltse, dated June 21st, 1895.
Frankfort, Tenn., December 12th, 1894.
DEAR SIR, — At request of Dr. Wiltse I write the following statement
while the matter is fresh in my mind. The doctor is passing the night at
my house and did the following experiment.
I had in my mind a certain house which I am quite sure the doctor
never saw, and this is the description he gave, and I will here state that
it was perfect, as far as he went.
'' I see a house, it is not finished on the outside ; it has a very steep
roof and very wide eaves, and it seems that the builder has left the room
overhead very low with the intention of saving money. I get a picture of the
inside. I see an opening in one end that looks like a fireplace ; I see an
object that looks like a range (and I will here state that there is not a
home comfort range in more than one house out of every fifty through
this country). The house seems to be divided into two lower rooms and
it seems to be all the same room above." — Yours truly,
SARAH A. HUGHES,
I certify that I was present at this experiment, and that the statement
made herein by Mrs. Hughes is correct.
HILDA POTTER.
Dr. Wiltse writes ; —
Lancing, Tenn. December 13th, 1894.
MY DEAR DR. HODGSON, — The above statement is substantially correct.
Mrs. Hughes is a chronic invalid, whom I have just commenced treating.
She said she had been told that I could read people's thoughts, and that if I
could read hers, she would think I could certainly cure her. Upon which,
I told her to fix her mind upon some place which she was sure I had never
seen, and hear me describe [it].
The place she chose I have never seen, nor do I know that I ever heard
of it. I regard the experiment as one of the most satisfying I ever did, as
the house was so odd and ranges so few in the country that the picture
quite surprised me. — Yours truly,
A. S. WILTSE.
APR., 1896.] Cases. 243
L. 1000. Thought-transference.
The following case, obtained for us by Dr. Bramwell, is very similar
to those described above by Dr. Wiltse, except that it occurred
spontaneously instead of as the result of a deliberate effort. The
percipient, Mr. de Solla, is a gentleman, well known in the musical
world. He writes to Dr. Bramwell : —
February 5th, 1896.
DEAR DR. BRAMWELL, — As promised I now send an account of my little
thought-transference experience. 'Twas thus. I sat opposite my eldest
daughter, who was reading a book by the fireside. Presently I exclaimed,
"Good gracious ! " My daughter saying, " What is it ? " I replied, " I could
have sworn I saw a dog enter the room." I described the dog minutely.
My daughter in great surprise told me that she had that moment read a
description of just such a dog. I do not even now know the title of the
book. We kept no dog at the time, nor had we conversed about one. —
.Faithfully yours,
ISIDORE DE SOLLA.
In reply to our enquiries, Mr. de Solla writes : —
5, Harrington-square, London, N.W., March 8th, 1896.
DEAR SIR, — In reply to yours of 4th hist., the incident re thought-
transference 'twixt my daughter and myself took place on a Sunday about a
year ago. My daughter would be willing to give an account of the matter.
She does not remember my giving a detailed description of the dog, but
simply that I exclaimed, "I just saw such a big dog rush into the room."
My daughter tells me that immediately before my exclamation she had read
the following words from a book (Lewis Arundel) : — " As he spoke, he
uttered a low peculiar whistle ; hi obedience to his signal a magnificent
Livonian wolf-hound, etc., etc., sprang into the room."
It is not a common experience of mine to imagine I see anything
anywhere which is not tangibly present, and I am very sceptical about other
folks' reports re such things.
ISIDORE DE SOLLA.
L. 1075. Animal Apparition.
We have — as might naturally be expected — very few well-authenti-
cated cases of veridical impressions relating to animals. But if we
compare the following case with Mr. de Solla's experience, just given,
there seems no difficulty in regarding it as an ordinary instance of
thought-transference, the agent being perhaps the person in whose
charge the dog was left. The percipient, Mrs. Bagot, of The Palace,
Hampton Court, wrote her account in February, 1896. Both Mrs.
Bagot and her daughter who confirms the account are known to
Mr. Myers.
244 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [APR., 1896..
I was at Mentone in the spring of 1883, having left at home with the
gardener a very favourite black and tan terrier, "Judy." I was sitting at
table d'hote with my daughter and husband and suddenly saw Judy run
across the room, and exclaimed, "Why, there's Judy!" There was no
dog in the room or hotel, but I distinctly saw her, and when I went
upstairs after table d'hote, told my other daughter, Mrs. Wodehouse, what
I had seen.
The next letter from home told me that Judy had gone out in the
morning well, had apparently picked up some poison, as she was taken ill
and died in half an hour ; but I cannot say whether it was on the same day
that I had seen her.
She was almost a human dog, so wonderfully intelligent and under-
standing, and devoted to me.
J. W. BAGOT.
Mrs. Bagot's daughter, Mrs. Wodehouse, sent to Mr. Myers on
February 9th, 1896, the following corroboration, stating that the
quotations were an exact copy of the references to the dog in her diary
for March 24th and 28th, 1883. It will be observed that there is no
proof that the dog was seen on the day of its death, but it is clear
that the death was not heard of till afterwards.
56, Chester Square, S.W.
(Copy of Diary.) March 2±th, 1883. Easter Eve (Mentone).— "Drove with
A. and picked anemones. Lovely bright day. But my head ached too much
to enjoy it. Went to bed after tea and read Hettner's ' Renaissance.'
Mamma saw Judy's ghost at table d'hote ! "
March 28th, Wednesday (Monte Carlo). — " Mamma and A. came over for
the day. Judy dead, poor old dear."
NOTE. — I distinctly remember my father and mother and sister (Mrs.
Algernon Law) and my cousin (Miss Dawnay) coming into my bedroom, all
laughing and telling me how my mother had seen Judy (black and tan
terrier) running across the room whilst they were at table d'hote. My
mother was so positive about it, that one of the others (I think my father)
had asked the waiter if there were any dogs in the hotel, and he had answered
in the negative. I can find no further mention of the time or day of the
dog's death in my diary.
I may also be mistaken in the day on which my mother saw Judy, for
although I usually write my diary every evening, I sometimes leave it for two
or three days and then write it in as best I can remember. But I distinctly
remember lying in my bed at Mentone when they told me the story, and
equally clearly I remember receiving the news of Judy's death at Monte
Carlo.
ADELA H. WODEHOUSE.
No. CXXIX.-Voi,. VII. MAY,
JOURNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. . PAGE
New Members and Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Meeting of the Council 246
General Meeting 246
Cases 250
Interim Report of the Hypnotic Committee 260
The Third International Congress of Psychology 26O
NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.
Names of Members are printed in Black Type.
Names of Associates are printed in SMALL CAPITALS.
BAKER, EDMUND G., High View, Shooters-hill, Kent.
BAKER, Miss ISABELLA L. M., St. Clement's, Crieff-road, Wandsworth
Common, S.W.
Heward, Rev. T. Morley, M.A., 17, Park-st., Dorset-square, N.W.
MONTMORENCY, J. E. G. de, B.A., L.L.B., 20, Old-buildings, Lincoln's
Inn, W.C.
SHAW, REV. CHARLES J. M., The Orchard, Swanley, Kent.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
BATES, CHARLES F., Cleveland, Ohio.
BEALE, REV. C. H., 33, Waverly-street, Roxbury, Boston, Mass.
CLOUGH, H. W., Nashville, Tenn.
LIBRARIAN, Public Library, Minneapolis, Minn.
SPRINGLE, JEFFREY H., D.D.S., L.D.S., 204, St. James-st., Montreal,
Canada.
TEMPLE, REV. H. W., 400, Locust-st., Washington, Pa.
TWITCHELL, H. E., M.D., 24, 8. "B."-st., Hamilton, Ohio.
WARD, REV. DUREN J. H., Pn.D., 205, Central-avenue, Dover, N.H.
246 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAY, 1896.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Council was held on April 24th, at the West-
minster Town Hall. The President was in the chair, Mr. R. Pearsall
Smith having occupied it for a few minutes until his arrival. There
were also present, Colonel Hartley, Professor H. Sidgwick, Dr. J.
Milne Bramwell, Dr. C. Lockhart Robertson, and Messrs. T. Barkworth,
F. W. H. Myers, F. Podmore, and H. Arthur Smith.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and signed as correct.
One new Member and four new Associates were elected, whose
names and addresses are given above.
The election of eight new Associates of the American Branch was
recorded.
It was agreed that, at her request, the name of Mrs. Stewart
Walker should be transferred from the list of Members to that of
Associates.
A present to the Library was reported, for which a vote of thanks
was passed to the donor.
The further consideration of the report of the House and Finance
Committee was adjourned to the next meeting.
Various other matters having been discussed by the Council,
it was agreed that its next meeting should be at 4.30, on Friday,
June 5th, at the Rooms of the Society.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 79th General Meeting of the Society was held at the
Westminster Town Hall on Friday, April 24th, at 4 p.m., the
President, Mr. W. Crookes, in the chair.
MB. CKOOKES explained that since his election as President of the
Society, his health had kept him abroad, and that even now he was not
sufficiently well to prepare the address which he hoped to be able to
give later. He then stated that the paper by " Miss X.", announced to
be read at this meeting, was deferred, owing to circumstances which
would be fully explained when the paper was read at a future meeting,
when also it was hoped that more complete evidence would be forth-
coming on some points.
MR. F. PODMORE read a paper on " Poltergeists," or visitations of
stone-throwing, bell-ringing, movements of furniture, and other physical
disturbances. Outbreaks of this kind, he pointed out, have been
occasionally recorded from the Middle Ages down to the present time.
MAY, 1896.] General Meeting. 247
The newspapers each year report several cases. The phenomena, as
•described by apparently honest witnesses, seem often to be quite
inexplicable by normal agencies, and are frequently regarded, by the
eye-witnesses, at any rate, as manifestations of occult power.
Representatives of the Society have investigated with some care
•eleven cases of the kind, the earliest of which took place in March,
1883, at Worksop. In none of these cases was satisfactory evidence
obtained pointing to abnormal agency. In several instances direct
proof of trickery was received, either from the testimony of eye-
witnesses, or from the confessions of the persons — chiefly young
girls — who were concerned in producing the manifestations. In cases
where proof of either kind was wanting, it could yet fairly be inferred,
from the descriptions given, from the character of the witnesses, and
from the discrepancies in the various accounts, that the phenomena
.attested might be susceptible of a similar explanation. Mr. Podmore
•concluded by suggesting that to substantiate abnormal physical agency
in such cases, the contemporary evidence of educated witnesses to
phenomena observed under conditions within their own control is
essential ; and such evidence does not appear ever to have been
obtained.
THE PRESIDENT thought that Mr. Podmore's paper had given them
much to think of. Mr. Podmore's view seemed to imply extremely bad
observation on the part of the witnesses.
MR. PAGE HOPPS remarked that to him the paper suggested a
conclusion opposite to that drawn by Mr. Podmore ; it did not follow
that everything was trickery because some things were. Deformed
children might well wish to trick sometimes, and mediumship was often
combined with trickery. For instance, a medium staying in his own
house, after ten days of remarkable manifestations, — during which a
Puritan divine, professing to be Isaac Watts, communicated, — while
driving into Manchester, identified a statue of James "Watt as the
same man. She must undoubtedly have told a lie, unless her imagina-
tion ran away with her. But immediately afterwards she gave a
detailed account of the death of a daughter of a man unknown to her,
giving the name, — all she said being true.
DR. KINGSTON observed that it would be interesting to hear from
Mr. Westlake some particulars of one of the cases referred to by Mr.
Podmore, which he had investigated.
MR. E. WESTLAKE gave an account of his discovery of trickery in
this case.
PROFESSOR SIDGWICK said that he had investigated one of the
cases — the Wem case — and had been at first inclined to think that]
248 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAT, 1896^
though there had been trickery, there were probably also some
genuine phenomena. The advantage of the work of .a Society like
ours was that it led to a systematic investigation and comparison of
different cases ; and he agreed with Mr. Podmore in thinking that
such a comparison of these cases rendered probable the conclusion of
trickery throughout.
A paper communicated by PROFESSOR W. JAMES, of Harvard, was
then read by Mr. F. W. H. MYERS. It was entitled " A case of
psychic automatism, including 'speaking with tongues';" and contained
a remarkable autobiographical statement from a man of letters known to
Prof essor J ames, who here assumed the nom deplume of "Mr. le Baron."'
Mr. le Baron? under somewhat remarkable circumstances, became sub-
ject to accesses of vocal automatism, mainly in the form of what he call*
" deific verbiage ; " — a kind of hymns and declamations which issued
from his lips with a strong subjective sense of inspiration. After a
time these intelligible (although incoherent) utterances were succeeded
by unintelligible utterances, claiming to be in " unknown tongues," of
which translations were afterwards given. " Mr. le Baron," says Pro-
fessor James, " was by no means willing to abandon the idea that his
unintelligible vocal performances were involuntary reproductions of
some ancient or remote tongue. His earnestness and energy in seek-
ing to gain corroboration for this view is the best possible proof that
the vocal movements carried with them for him, as he made them, no
subjective feeling of being due to his personal will. He spent hours
poring over grammars and vocabularies of African and Asiatic
tongues. I corresponded with various philologists on his behalf. But
no light came, and finally he grew convinced, by the mere progress of
the phenomenon, that it was less important than it pretended to be."
The paper thus introduced contained a vivid account of experiences
whose intensity seemed for a long time an overpowering subjective
proof of their value. Specimens of the unknown tongues, recorded by
the phonograph, were given.
MR. F. "W. H. MYERS made some remarks upon the case detailed in
Professor James' paper, of which the purport was as follows : —
Mr. le Baron's experiences are of especial interest as tilling a gap that
had remained for some time open in the symmetrical series of cases which
show the progress of each class of automatic verbalisation from insane
incoherence to supernormal instructiveness. In each of the other forms
of verbalisation the series is already pretty complete. In word-seeing
we start from the meaningless and terrifying words or sentences some-
times seen by the insane, as though written in fire, without them or
within ; we pass through the stage of words seen in the crystal with
MAY, 1896.] General Meeting. 249
nothing to point to an origin external to the seer's mind ; and -we
arrive at the supernormal phenomenon of the sight of words in the
crystal which convey facts previously unknown to the seer. Similarly
in word-Jiearing we start from the delusions of madness, when per-
secuting voices and the like are so often heard ; we go on to internal
auditions of a monitory kind, which may well proceed from the auditor's
own subliminal self ; and finally we come to those " clairaudient "
premonitions which imply the possession of a wider purview than the
automatist himself had ever — to his own supraliminal knowledge —
attained. For the third form of verbalisation, — word-writing, — the
continuous series from insanity to inspiration is by this time still more
familiar to readers of our Proceedings. In each case the gradual
development from phenomena below into phenomena above the normal
standard of personality seems to show that in these special directions
the personality is most easily modifiable ; and that subliminal dis-
turbances, whether dissolutive or evolutive, are apt to come to the
surface by these as their readiest paths. It is therefore only by a
study in each case of the actual messages given that we can rightly
rank the automatist, either as insane, or as merely a person in whom
subliminal uprushes are unusually facile, or as a man in some sense
inspired with fuller knowledge than other men, either by his own
hidden spirit, or by spirits without him.
In the fourth form of verbalisation, — word-utterance, — we have
until now mainly found examples of the lowest and the highest classes.
The ceaseless vociferation of mania is familiar to all ; and wonder is
often expressed at the vigour and persistency of the maniac's utterance,
— far surpassing the achievements of practised public speakers. Then
at the other end of the scale we have the utterances which come through
Mrs. Piper, in which (as fresh evidence makes increasingly probable)
intelligences other than Mrs. Piper's own are habitually concerned.
But for intermediate examples, — for utterance neither insane nor in
any true sense inspired, — we have thus far had to fall back mainly on old
records. Chief of these have been the accounts of the Irvingite speak-
ing with tongues. Next, perhaps, comes a little-known work, "Strange
Sermons of Rachel Baker," which contains two cases of sermonising
utterance during apparently quite genuine sleep. I need not say that
"trance addresses" are quite a common feature in spiritist reunions.
In the very few cases where I have heard these public addresses under
supposed inspiration, I have felt sure that the speaker was in full pos-
session of his or her ordinary consciousness. But I think it very
probable that speeches may sometimes be genuinely made in a trance
state ; — which would, of course, be no more wonderful than it is when
250 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAY, 1896,
a hypnotised boy at an entertainment lectures on temperance and so
forth, and remembers nothing about it when he awakes. The trance
may be a mere self-hypnotisation ; — and such, in the absence from
the speech of any facts unknown to the speaker, we are bound to-
consider it.
But among all these strictly automatic vocalisations, neither
insane nor inspired, Mr. le Baron's case is the fullest and most instruc-
tive. I know no stronger example of the subjective sense of genius,
or rather of positive inspiration, accompanying a subliminal uprush of
absolutely meaningless matter. Some of this matter, indeed, was-
meaningless even to incoherence, — consisting of " unknown tongues,"
which are pretty certainly destined to remain unknown. One cannot
but note, with satisfaction at our present progress, yet with deep
regret at the sad story of the past, the different way in which
these so-called tongues were treated in Irving's time and in our own.
Several, at least, of the speakers with tongues in Irving's congregation
were, I have no doubt, perfectly sincere ; and Irving himself was, as all
know, a man of probity and elevation. Yet his ignorance — his unavoid-
able ignorance — of the phenomena of automatism landed him and his
flock first in natural mistake, but at last in obstinate credulity, and
spoilt the close of a noble and high career. In Mr. le Baron's case,.
on the other hand, the automatist himself had the courage and candour
to estimate his utterances in the calm light of science, in spite of strong
subjective inducement to continue to assign to them a value which
they did not possess. He had the good fortune, I need hardly add, to
meet with a wise and gentle adviser, and the phenomenon which, if
differently treated, might have led on to the delusion of many, and
perhaps to the insanity of one, became to the one a harmless experience,
and to the world an acquisition of interesting psychological truth. If
our Society shall continue thus to tend to convert enthusiasm into-
science and peril into instruction, it will not have existed in vain.
CASES.
L. 1076. Experimental Apparition.
Our readers will remember that several cases like the following
have already been published (see, for instance, Phantasms of the Living,
Vol. I., pp. 103-109) ; and we are very anxious that further experi-
ments of the same kind should be tried by others, careful notes being
of course taken by the agent and percipient, respectively, of the time
of making the attempt and the time of the impression experienced, if
MAY, 1896.] Cases. 251
any. The case here printed rests unfortunately only on the recollection
of the witnesses, but it appears that at the time they ascertained the
coincidences with care.
The accounts were obtained through the kindness of Mr. Lewis C.
Powles, of 9, Queen's Gate Place, S.W., an Associate of the Society,
who is personally acquainted with all the witnesses. The names of
the percipient and her daughter, whom we will call Mrs. E. and
Mrs. A. have been given us in confidence.
Mrs. A.'s statement is enclosed in a letter from Mr. Powles written
on February 5th, 1896. She writes : —
I cannot remember the date ; but one night two or three years ago, I
came back from the theatre to my mother's flat at 6, S. -street; and
after I had been into her bedroom and told her all about it, I went to bed
about 1 a.m. I had not been asleep long when I started up frightened,
fancying that I had heard some one walk down the passage towards my
mother's room ; but hearing nothing more went again to sleep. I started up
alarmed in the same way three or four times before dawn.
In the morning, upon inquiry, my mother (who was ill at the time) only
told me she had had a very disturbed night.
Then I asked my brother, who told me that he had suffered in the same
way as I had, starting up several times in a frightened manner. On hearing
this, my mother then told me that she had seen an apparition of Mr. Rose.
Later in the day Mr. Rose came in, and my mother asked him casually if
he had been doing anything last night ; upon which he told us that he had
gone to bed willing that he should visit and appear to us. We made him
promise not to repeat the experiment.
A night or so just before, I remember the servant came into my mother's
bedroom, alarmed, at 3 a.m. ; she said she had heard the electric bell ring.
The bell at that time of night is inaccessible to the casual passer-by, as
the outer door is then closed. The servant, I believe, heard it more than
once ; she cried and fancied it was an omen of her mother's death.
Mrs. E. writes : —
February 12th, 1896.
Though unable to give the date of these strange incidents which I have
experienced, yet I will try and be as exact as possible in my relation. I
have not, I think, forgotten any detail, for all is still impressed very vividly
upon my memory.
The first occasion I had been ill and my daughter had come to stay with
me. I was better and had been up, when on this particular night — she was
sharing my bed — we were both so restless that neither could sleep. We
made various apologies the one to the other, both saying we could not tel
what was the matter, but both agreeing as to having most uncomfortable
sensations.
Then suddenly came a banging at my door and my maid's voice asking
what was the matter. On letting her in, she told us that my bell, which rung
252 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. |.MAY, 1896.
just outside her bedroom door, had rung over and over again, that it had
wakened her, that she waited before getting up till it rang again and again.
When I told her I had not rung it, she burst out crying, saying, " Oh,
then my mother must be dead and it's a warning." (She went next day and
found her mother quite well). I mention her remark to show that she
must have felt there was something uncanny.
I must now explain about this bell. There was none actually in my
room, but outside my door was an electric bell and to this was fastened a long
electric rope which could be carried from room to room , and each night was
placed by my bedside. The bell could only be rung by the button being
pressed which was at the end of the rope on the table beside my bed.
On the Sunday evening after this, some friends were supping with me (my
daughter had returned home), and before we had finished Mr. Rose came in.
He drew a chair to the table and my son said, " Well, Rose, what have you
been doing lately ? " His reply startled me, for he answered, " My last effort
has been trying to send my ' spook ' here. " I asked him to explain what he
meant and then he told me about it. It was the first time I had heard that
such a thing was possible, and I then told him of the ringing of the bell on
that same evening.
This subject was not discussed again by us as far as I can recollect, nor
did it impress me particularly ; and some weeks* passed, when I was struck
down with a bad attack of influenza, and again -my daughter came to nurse
me.
I had quite recovered, but had not yet been out of my room, but was to
go into the drawing-room next day. On this particular night, my daughter
had gone to the theatre and my son remained with me. He had bid me good
night about half -past ten and gone to his room, and I lay reading, when
(suddenly a strange creepy sensation came over me, and I felt my eyes drawn
towards the left hand side of the room. I felt I must look, and there distinct
ftgainst the curtain was a blue luminous mist.
ii I could not for some time move my eyes away, and all the time I was
really terrified, for I thought it was something uncanny. I wished to call
my son, but fought down the feeling, knowing I should only upset him if
he thought I was nervous, and possibly they would think I was going to be
ill again. So I battled down my fears, and making up my mind it was all
imagination, turned round with my back to this misty light and continued
my book. Soon the feeling of fear passed away ; but all desire for sleep
'had also gone, and for a long time I lay reading, — when again quite suddenly
came the dread and the feeling of awe.
This time I was impelled to cast my eyes downward to the side of my
b.ed, and there, creeping upwards towards me, was the same blue luminous
mist. I was too terrified to move, and remember keeping my book straight
up before my face as though to ward off a blow, at the same time exerting
* Mrs. A., who has just read this, seems to think now that the two occurrences
were separated by some weeks, not days as she wrote in her statement. — L. C. POWLES.
MAT, 1896.] Cases. 253
all my strength of will and determination not to be afraid, —when suddenly,
as if with a jerk, above the top of my book came the brow and eyes of Mr.
Rose. In an instant all fear left me. I dropped my book with an exclamation
not complimentary, for then I knew that Mr. Rose had been trying the same
thing again. In one moment mist and face were gone.
Next morning I told my daughter, and she said she had had the same
restless night (though sleeping in another room) as when the bells rang and
we had both felt as if something uncanny were in the room.
That day Mr. Rose came to see me, and before telling him anything of my
experience, I asked him what he had been doing the night before. His
answer was, ' ' I went to my room early and concentrated all my thoughts in
trying to send my astral body here. "
I then repeated to him what I have written here, and Mr. Rose promised
he would not experiment on me again, as it made me nervous.
The agent's account of his side of the incident is contained in a
letter to Mr. Powles, as follows : —
4, Cromwell Crescent, S.W. January 18th, 1896.
DEAR Mil. POWLES, — The evidence I have to give in the case of "spirit
projection" is very little by itself; but as you have heard the story and will
have the evidence of Mrs. E. and Mrs. A., I shall confine myself to that
which comes within my own knowledge. As an author (having written
several novels) I am, of course, somewhat imaginative, though I incline
rather to the realistic than to the romantic school, i have also read and
taken much interest in so-called occult phenomena. I should also mention
that I had mesmerised Mrs. E. with more or less success on several occasions
before making the experiment I am going to relate.
Having read of cases of spirit projection, I resolved, without mentioning
the fact to any one, to endeavour to send my astral body to Mrs. E. It was
about 1891 or 1892, though my memory for dates is so bad that I can't be
certain as to the time. This will no doubt be fixed by others. I sat in my
bedroom about half past twelve or one o'clock and fixed my will upon the
enterprise I had been considering. I carefully imagined myself going down
the steps of this house, walking along the streets, arriving at S. -street,
mounting to Mrs. E. 's flat and going to her drawing-room and bedroom. I
then went to bed with my mind fixed upon the visit I wished to make, and
soon fell asleep.
The next evening I called on Mrs. E., and found her with Mr. and Mrs.
A. and some other persons just finishing dinner. I asked her if anything un-
usual had occurred on the previous night. She and Mrs. A. told me they had
been disturbed, that the servant had heard a bell ring and had come to them
in the night, etc., etc. ; but I here leave the narrative to them, only mention-
ing that I believe it was an electric bell which the servant heard.
The next night I repeated the experiment, and when I saw them again,
they told me of its success and begged me never to repeat it, as both Mrs. A.
and Mrs. E. had been very much frightened, — the former by the feeling that
.gome one was in the room, and the latter by actually seeing the upper part
254 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAT, 1896^
of my face over the top of a book which she was reading. I personally was
not in any way conscious of the success of my attempt, for, so far as I
remember, I did not even dream about any of the family. I have since tried
this experiment with other people, but without success. I have never again
tried it with Mrs. E. nor with her daughter.
I am afraid this is a very inconclusive narrative when taken by itself, but
it is all that is absolutely within my own knowledge. When, however, it is
taken in connection with what the two ladies felt and saw, it is not without
interest. — Yours sincerely,
FRED. W. ROSE.
In answer to some questions from Mr. Powles, Mr. Rose wrote : —
January 21st, 1896.
In reply to your note, I did not after my first experiment give notice that
I intended to muke another. I had tried to mesmerise Mrs. A. when she
suffered from neuralgia, but without success. I feel sure I did not try her
more than twice, and I had not done so for a long time before the experi-
ments. I did not try hypnotism upon any other occupant of the house.
In answer to our further enquiries about the interval between
the two experiments, Mr. Rose explained that by the phrase —
" The next night I repeated the experiment " — he did not mean that
the two experiments occurred on consecutive nights. He says, " I
can't now remember what time elapsed between the two experiments,
but I think it was some two or three weeks." The fact of there
having been some interval between the two trials tells against the-
supposition that Mrs. E.'s second impression was a mere subjective
recrudescence of the first, accidentally coinciding with Mr. Rose's
second attempt.
Since writing his account, Mr. Rose made two more attempts to-
appear to Mrs. E., who was in the south of France at the time. Mrs,
E. tells us that on two nights during this period she was wakened
suddenly by the feeling that some one was in the room, and was much
alarmed. On the second occasion it occurred to her that Mr. Rose was
perhaps trying an experiment on her. She wrote shortly after to ask
him if this was the case; but unfortunately neither of them had noted
the dates, Mr. Rose feeling sure that when Mrs. E. was in a part of
France that was unknown to him, he would not succeed. It is obvious,
therefore, that no stress can be laid on these later experiments, and
Mr. Rose tells us that a third trial, made on February 8th, 1896, was
a complete failure.
It must also be observed that Mrs. E., as a child, had two
experiences of apparently subjective hallucinations, one of which was
visual. These, however, can hardly be held to detract from the
MAY, 1896.] Cases. 255
significance of the incidents described above, and in such experiments,
one success out of only five trials seems a large proportion.
L. 1077. Ae Pn Apparition.
The next case w&s received through the kindness of Dr. Duke, of
33, Bilton Road, Rugby, who is acquainted with the persons concerned.
Colonel G. L. Le M. Taylor visited the witnesses on February 4th, 1896r
and obtained from them the following statements.
(1)
Mr. F. Staines, of Abbey Street, Rugby, states : —
February 15th, 1896.
Before I was married, some 15 years ago, I was living in Rugby. My
present wife, to whom I was then engaged, and whose name was Jane
Louisa Cox, was living in Oxford as cook in the family of Mr. Arthur
Sidgwick. One Sunday night I was lying awake in bed, with no reason to
believe that any harm was likely to happen to my fiancee, or that she was
unwell.
It must have been about 11 o'clock when I was startled to see her stand-
ing at the foot of my bed in her night dress and her hair down about her
shoulders. She was looking at me in an attitude as if imploring help. The
phantasm remained for about half a minute and then, slowly gliding towards
the window on my left, disappeared.
I am sure I was not asleep when the figure appeared. I was much
impressed and slept little for the rest of the night. It was Miss Cox's
custom to write to me every Sunday afternoon, so that I got her letter by the
first post on Monday. On the Monday after I saw the phantasm, I got no
letter by the usual post. This made me feel uneasy, so I wrote off at once
saying what I had seen and asking if anything was the matter. My letter
crossed one to me from Miss M., a fellow-servant of Jane Cox, telling me
that she had been taken ill the night before and, not being able to write her-
self as usual, had got her to do so.
I told Dr. Duke at the time what I had experienced.
FREDERICK JOHN STAINES.
(2)
Mrs. Staines states :— February 15th, 1896.
Fifteen years ago, I was in service as cook to Mrs. Sidgwick, in Oxford,
and was engaged to a young man, Frederick Staines, who was living at the
time in Rugby. I had over-worked myself, I think, for one Sunday after-
noon I was taken ill while attending service at the cathedral. I went home
to bed feeling very ill indeed, and at about 9.30 remembered that I had not
written the letter I was accustomed to do every Sunday evening to Fred
Staines. I began to feel worse and thought I was going to die, so I struggled
out of bed to write my last letter to him and to my mother. I remember
that I got up and stood at the foot of my bed in my night dress. Miss M.,
who was nurse in the family and who was looking after me, insisted that I
256 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAY, 1896.
should return to bed and that she would write the letters for me. She had
not finished them till between 10 and 11 p.m., when it was too late to post
them that night. I made her write how ill I was and how unable to write
myself. At about 4 p.m. on Monday, I got a letter from Mr. Staines hoping
that I was not ill, for he had had a most peculiar dream. " Still it was not
a dream," he wrote, " for I was awake at the time." He said he had seen me
at the foot of his bed, standing in my night dress with my hair down, in an
attitude as if I was imploring him to come and help me. I had my hair
down when I got out of bed to write the letters.
That same night my mother dreamed that I was ill, and I had a letter to
say so from a friend of hers. My mother was not well enough to write her-
self. My mother's sensations were that she wanted to come to me and T to
her, but we could not.
I have never had another experience like the above, but my father once
saw the vision of a friend at the moment of death.
JANE LOUISA STALK ES.
Dr. Duke writes : —
33, Bilton-road, Rugby, March 8th, 1896.
I remember that Fred Staines told me, at the time, of his having seen the
phantasm of Miss Cox at his bedside when she was at Oxford and he at
Rugby. THOMAS DUKE.
In answer to Colonel Taylor's enquiries, Mrs. Staines' former
fellow-servant, who prefers that her name should not be printed,
wrote to him : —
Oxford, February IQth, [1896.]
MY DEAR SIR, — I remember quite well the incident you refer to, viz.,
the temporary illness of Mrs. Staines when she was in. Oxford. It is nearly
16 years ago, or a little more. When I say I remember the incident, I mean
more especially her illness, the day and time of evening I spent in trying to
relieve her and carrying out directions given me by a doctor some time
before, — before we left Rugby, in fact. She was in the habit of having a letter
every Monday morning from Mr. Staines. When she did not, she nearly
always concluded that he had been for a long walk with a friend, so missed
the post which would ensure delivery here on Monday morning early. In
this case, she generally received his by our second post. On this Sunday she
had been out, and for longer than usual. She came in from evening church
complaining of pains of a spasmodic character, and after some time of trying
remedies I said, "Now you must have a hot bath," and began to prepare it
in her room. She was in great pain and leant her arms on the chest of
drawers and as far as she could her body too. Mr. Staines' photo, was on
the drawers, and of course we noticed it ; while I was busy, it seemed to me
she talked either of or to him by this means. I know she said once or twice,
" Oh, Fred ! " Well, then, my remedial measures having taken effect, I left
her to go to sleep and told her not to get up in the morning, we would
manage. What I cannot be absolutely certain of is whether any letter came
during the Monday which followed ; but my strong impression is that none
did, but that I wrote on Monday to Mr. Staines, and his crossed, I suppose. I
MAY, 1896.] Gases. 257
wrote purposely to tell him of her illness; therefore, he did not know of it at
the time he wrote, and I think that he told her how unhappy he had been
because of having seen her and thinking something was the matter. [
cannot remember what I wrote to him, but of course it would relate chiefly
to her illness, and I think I must have read his letter to her in which he told
her of the visitation. Now and then she asked me to look at his letters, or a
part, and it is most probable that she gave me that one to read, as we were
so interested to find he had seen her at the very time she had been leaning
on the drawers and naturally fixing her thoughts upon him. I remember
nothing about her mother in connection with this. My letter would be
posted to him on Monday, I think.
One thing I should like to say is that whatever account Mrs. Staines has
given you of this may be relied upon as being absolutely true. She possesses
in an unusual degree the gift of telling a story time after time, and at long
intervals, without additions or variations. I and others have frequently been
convinced of this, so that whatever she has told you is just as it occurred.
I hope my account may be of use to you. I can remember nothing more, but
was much impressed at the time with the fact that this had been so, and she
alluded to the time during which she was looking fixedly at the photo, as the
very worst of it ; indeed, she said, " Oh, I'm sure I shall die ! " I can only
say that she looked as [if] she was in great agony.
I have, to the best of my memory, only spoken to her of this four or five
times since.
(Signed)
Colonel Taylor writes that his interviews with Mr. and Mrs.
Staines gave him the impression that they were honest witnesses and
that their statements might be relied on as accurate. He found that
they had, unfortunately, not kept the letters which passed between
them on the occasion.
Mrs. Arthur Sidgwick thinks that she was not told of the incident
at the time, but after reading the account of it, she writes : —
This all sounds correct, and I know my old cpok and nurse to be perfectly
reliable witnesses. I cannot remember the exact occasion, but well remem-
ber Jane's frequent illnesses of the kind. .
C. S. SIDGWICK.
L. 1078. Dream.
The following dream about the contents of an unopened letter is
curiously similar to the case recorded by Professor Alexander in the
April Journal (L. 998, see page 238). The account was received from
Mr. B. "W. B. Greene, an Associate of the American Branch of the
S.P.R. The names of the persons concerned have been given to us
in confidence.
Paris, December ±th, 1895.
In August, 1889, Mrs. S. was staying at Newcastle, New Hampshire,
258 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAT, 1896.
U.S.A. One night she dreamed that she received a letter, in an unknown
handwriting, stating that she had been left a bequest of 5,000 dols., but that
she would not receive them immediately, owing to certain legal formalities.
Mrs. S. remembers that the letter caused her pain in her dream, as the only
person likely to leave her money was one of her brothers, of whom she was
very fond. The dream was very vivid.
On waking, her breakfast was brought into her room, while Mr. S. went
downstairs to eat his. A short time after he returned with a letter, the
envelope of which was addressed in Mrs. S.'s sister's handwriting. On
opening the envelope, two sheets fell out. One of them Mrs. S . immediately
recognised as coming from her sister ; the other was in an unknown hand-
writing, and Mrs. S. picked it up and looked over it without unfolding it.
Suddenly she caught sight of the figures 5,000 dols. in the text of the letter.
She let it fall with the exclamation: "Why, I dreamed that !" Mr. S. states
that the expression of her face was one of extreme astonishment.
On reading the letter, it was found that an uncle of Mrs. S., who had
died six months before, had requested that she should be given 5, 000 dols.
She never expected anything from him at his death, as he had four children.
The money could not be given her for some time, o^ving to legal formalities. She
had not been informed of the request before, owing to the aforesaid
formalities.
BERTRAM W. B. GREENE.
Mrs. S. writes : —
The above account of my dream, written for me by my friend, Mr. B. W.
B. Greene, is perfectly correct.
(Signed)
Mr. S. writes to Mr, Myers as follows : —
Paris, December Ifth, 1895.
DEAR SIR. — At the request of Mr. Greene, I write to say that Mrs.
:S.'s surprise and exclamation about her dream were unmistakable.
(Signed)
L. 1079. Ad Pn Apparition.
Received through the American branch from Mr. Charles E.
Martratt. This case is strictly speaking at second-hand, but of the
kind regarded in Phantasms of the Living as on a par with first-hand,
that is, where the evidence comes from " a person who has been
informed of the experience of the percipient, while the latter was
still unaware of the corresponding event ; and who has had equal
opportunities with the percipient for learning the truth of that event,
and confirming the coincidence." (loc, cit. Vol. I., p. 148.) The case
cannot now be made first-hand, since the percipient, Mrs. Martratt,
lied a short time before her husband wrote, his account.
MAY, 1896.] . Cases. 259
Albany, New York, July 19th, 1891.
Charles E. Martratt, residing at 21, Grand-street, in the city of Albany,
N.Y., makes the following statements : —
In June, 1885 (the exact day is not remembered), I went to bed one
evening about 9 o'clock. About an hour afterward, I was awakened from
sleep by my wife, who said, "Charlie, granny has been here, and she spoke
to me. She said to me ' Ellen, I am dead, but don't be afraid. When you
come to the funeral, look at the left side of the back part of my head, and
you will see the cause of my death.' Granny stood at the foot of the bed,
with a night-cap on." My wife said that when she had spoken to her she
disappeared.
The next morning about 8 o'clock a.m., a telegram came, saying that the
old lady was dead. My wife took the earliest possible train to the nearest
railway station to where her grandmother had lived, which was Gansvoort
(near Fort Edward, New York), and then rode some five miles into the
country to the house where she had died. The old lady had not been put
in her coffin yet, and lay in the front parlour with a night-cap still on her
head. My wife said that she went and raised the night-cap and examined the
head of the corpse, arid found a large bump or bruise on the back of the head.
The place where the old lady died was about 50 miles from where we
lived. She and my wife had mutually promised each other that the one
who died first would come back and see the survivor, if possible.
The same summer, about a month later, my wife had another similar
experience. She was sitting in a room sewing, and noticed a shadow at the
door. On looking up, she saw my brother Matthew standing before her.
She said, "Why, Mat, what are you doing here? I thought you were
sick." She arose to get a chair, but when she turned toward him, he was
gone. She looked up and down the street, but could find no trace of him.
On my return in the evening, she told me what had happened, and expressed
a fear that my brother was dead. The next morning a telegram came, saying
that my brother had died the previous day at about the hour in which she
saw the vision. He died about ten miles distant.
During the fall of 1888, in the month of October, I was absent from my
home in Albany. 1 was in Buffalo, New York, which is about 400 miles
from my home. On returning, after an absence of about two months, my
wife surprised me by informing me of where I had been and what I had done
nearly every day while I was away. She was very correct in her informa-
tion, which was derived wholly by some sort of clairvoyant power. She
told me the hour at which I took trains for various places, and met me at
the depot on my return, although I had written her that I should be home
several days later.
CHARLES E. MARTRATT.
Witness to signature,
W. O. STILLMAN. [M.D.]
Dr. Stillman adds : —
I am also cognisant of many of the facts recited in the above statement,
and can certify to their truth.
260 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [MAT, IWIG,
INTERIM REPORT OF THE HYPNOTIC COMMITTEE.
The Hypnotic Committee have, since October, 1895, been continuing
their experiments, mainly with the view of obtaining some data on
the phenomena of telepathy.
The experiments have been carried on with twelve subjects. The
method employed has been that of guessing cards.
When guessing the cards, four of the subjects have been hypnotised
and eight have been in the normal state.
1070 cards have been guessed in the normal state, out of which
number the subjects have guessed right 285 suits, 60 pips, and 22
whole cards ; the most probable numbers by chance would be 267
suits, 82 pips, and 20 whole cards.
In the hypnotic state, out of 160 cards the subjects have guessed
right 43 suits, 5 pips, and 2 whole cards ; the most probable numbers
by chance being 40 suits, 12 pips, and 3 whole cards.
The Committee have not up to the time of writing obtained any
further evidence for telepathy either in the normal or in the hypnotic
state, and will be glad to hear of any one having presumed ability
either as agent or percipient.
According to their experience, the faculty, so far as it may exist, is
undoubtedly rare, and they are not at present prepared to say whether
it is, or is not, enhanced during hypnosis.
THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
OF PSYCHOLOGY.
The programme of proceedings at the International Congress of
Psychology to be held at Munich, August 4th to 7th, with a
preliminary list of all the papers promised up to April 15th, has now
been published, and may be obtained by any Member or Associate of
the Society on application to E. T. Bennett, Esq., 19, Buckingham
Street, Adelphi, London, W.C., who will also send the official
programme and form of application for membership to any one-
desiring them.
The subjects chosen for discussion at the Congress, arranged*
under four main sections, were given in the Journal for February.
No. CXXX.-Voi.. VII. JUNE, 1896.
JOIIBNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGE
New Members and Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Meeting of the Council 261
General Meeting 262
Cases 268
Correspondence 274
Supplementary Library Catalogue 275
NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.
Names of Members are printed in Black Type.
Names of Associates are printed in SMALL CAPITALS.
CHICHESTER, Miss MAY, Wotton Rectory, Dorking.
CLARKE, FRANCIS, 63, Gladsmuir-road, Whitehall Park, London, N.
FIELD, ALLAN B., Claremont, Woodberry Down, London, N.
METCALF, FRANCIS W. R., Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
WARRENDER, Miss MARGARET, 87, Eaton-square, London, S.W.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
BERRYHILL, MRS. JAMES G., Des Moines, Iowa.
Cox, LEWIS S., 470, Bullitt-building, Philadelphia, Pa.
HARVEY, ANSON B., M.A., 140, N. 16th-street, Philadelphia, Pa.
MARCHAND, G. L., 112, Clark-street, Chicago, 111.
Norbury, Mrs. J. F.,5th-avenue Hotel, Madison-sq., New York, N.Y.
STEPHENS, Miss MARY, 2,713, Prairie-avenue, Chicago, 111.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Council was held on June 5th, at the Rooms
of the Society, 19, Buckingham Street. Sir Augustus K. Stephenson
was voted to the chair. There were also present, Professor W. F.
Barrett, Colonel J. Hartley, Dr. A. Wallace, and Messrs. F. Podmore,
Sydney C. Scott, and H. Arthur Smith.
262 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1896
The minutes of the last meeting were read and signed as correct.
Five new Associates were elected, whose names and addresses are
given above.
The election of one new Member and five new Associates of the
American Branch was recorded.
The report of the House and Finance Committee received further
consideration. A unanimous opinion was expressed that the recom-
mendations contained in the report were reasonable, and should be
accepted, and that definite action should be taken in regard to them at
the next meeting of the Council.
Various other matters having been discussed, it was agreed that
the next meeting of the Council should be on Friday, July 10th, at
3 p.m., at the Westminster Town Hall, previous to the General
Meeting arranged for that day.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 80th General Meeting of the Society was held at the
Westminster Town Hall on Friday, June 5th, at 8.30 p.m., Professor
Barrett in the chair.
DR. J. MILNE BRAMWELL read a paper on " Personally observed
Hypnotic Phenomena." He stated that he had never been able to
induce hypnosis by mechanical means alone, and that the mentally ill-
balanced were the most difficult to hypnotise.
Cases were cited in which important changes in the involuntary
muscles and special senses had been produced by suggestion. In one
instance, where a remarkable improvement in vision was observed,
this was shown to be due to the removal of long-standing ciliary
spasm.
Dr. Bramwell gave an account of 55 experiments showing the
power of somnambules in appreciating time. The method employed
was to suggest to the subject, when asleep, that she should carry
out a simple act at the expiration of a certain number of minutes.
Despite the fact that the patient on awaking had no recollection of
these suggestions, all, with the exception of two, were carried out
correctly.
Instances were given of suggested improvement in memory, both as
regards recent and remote events.
As far as his experience went, Dr. Bramwell claimed that hypno-
tised subjects possessed the power of resisting the operator when his
commands were distasteful to them. In illustration of this, he gave
JUNK, 18D6.] General Meeting. 2fI3
the history of some deeply hypnotised patients who had refused to
carry out certain suggestions and also gave an account of their mental
condition, as revealed by questioning them in hypnosis.
The curative influence of suggestion in disease was referred to
briefly, and Dr. JBramwell stated that he had been able to confirm
many of the observations on this subject reported from abroad.
In conclusion Dr. Bramwell again insisted that he had seen no
evidence of the so-called automatism of the hypnotised subject and
considered that the power of resisting the commands of the operator
was second in importance to none of the phenomena of induced
somnambulism.
MR. J. ENMORE JONES asked what was Dr. Bramwell's method of
inducing hypnosis, and whether he 'made use of mesmeric passes? He
stated that his own experience as a mesmeriser some half century ago
had led him to believe that such passes exerted a real influence.
DR. BRAMWELL replied that he usually employed verbal suggestion
alone, and that passes were unnecessary.
MR. F. W. H. MYERS asked Dr. Bramwell whether in his opinion
the mechanism by which he had described an improvement of sight as
effected after hypnotic suggestion was applicable to all the recorded
cases of improvement of sight by suggestion. The relaxation of a
ciliary spasm, which habitually over-corrected hypermetropia, seemed a
natural and easy result of suggestion. But would this explain such a
case as that recorded some years ago by Dr. Bergson, of cornea-reading.
where the hypnotised subject distinguished reflected letters so minute
as to raise the anatomical question of the minimum visibile ? The
speaker went on to remark on the extreme rarity at the present
moment of hypnotic experiments undertaken with purely scientific
ends, and he congratulated Dr. Bramwell on having been able to make
so many and such interesting experiments in the course of therapeutic
practice.
DR. BRAMWELL replied that it was probable that similar physical
conditions existed in some of the cases referred to by Mr. Myers.
Slight hypermetropia was not uncommon and was likely to be over-
corrected by ciliary spasm in neurotic subjects. On the other hand,
alterations in the attention and circulation might play a part in these
changes.
DR. ABRAHAM WALLACE asked whether any of the patients on
whom the post-hypnotic time-experiments had been tried had ever
experienced headache in consequence.
DR. BRAMWELL replied that he had never observed a single case
where the employment of hypnotism, either in medicine or in scientific
264 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1896.
research, had produced even trivial ill effect or discomfort. When the
patient in question came to him she had been gravely ill, and under
medical treatment, for about twelve months. She was suffering from
muscular tremor of the extremities, headaches, neuralgia, etc., and was
unable to walk across the room without pain. All these symptoms had
disappeared under hypnotic treatment and, on more than one occasion
recently, she had ridden a heavy old-fashioned tricycle over 50 miles
a day without fatigue.
DR. H. D. R. KINGSTON said he would like to draw attention to
one point mentioned by Dr. Bramwell in his interesting paper, as he
considered that it required to be emphasised to those who were still
afraid of hypnotism from knowing but little about it ; this was that
the hypnotic state did not upset the moral balance and that, as in
the experiment described, the subjects would refuse to do, when in
that state, anything which they would think wrong in their normal
condition.
He was able to confirm this from his own experience, and was
inclined to believe that the natural effect of hypnotism was to increase
the moral sense, just as the physical senses were rendered more acute
by its action. His own observations were made, not on a civilised and
morally refined subject, but on a little South African coloured boy
whom one would not suppose to be particularly scrupulous at any time,
and who, moreover, was in such an entirely automatic state that he
never either spoke or moved without the Doctor's finger upon his
temple. (This, by the way, was a phenomenon entirely normal to the
case and in no way due to suggestion, as it was discovered by accident
and was quite contrary to the Doctor's expectation and intention).
When in this very marked somnambulic or automatic state (which
could, after the first time, be instantly induced by a look and a word,
or a pass) he would speak, sing, or perform any action directed, unless
it was one which he thought wrong, or did not wish to execute. The
refusals were, moreover, always unexpected by the Doctor, who did not
introduce orders of a doubtful character by way of experiment and
who had, therefore, no hesitation or mental reserve in giving the order.
On one occasion, for instance, he was told to smoke a cigarette, but
refused, and gave as his reason that his brother would scold him ; on
another to kiss the cook, and again to pull a young lady's hair, but he
declined from feelings evidently of shyness and respect. The latter
was curiously shown one day when he was met on the beach carrying
a string of fish, and being hypnotised, was told to give a fish to a young
lady present. With eyes fast shut, and, as usual, acting only when the
hypnotiser's finger was on his temple, he quite unexpectedly proceeded
JUNE, 1896.] General Meeting. 265
to feel over and examine the string of fishes, and carefully selected the
largest and best before offering it.
These instances, small as they were, Dr. Kingston thought indicated
the state of the moral sensibility and the natural reaction of the mind
to impressions received when in the hypnotic state.
MR. ROBINSON asked whether any of the subjects who had shown
this power of post-hypnotic computation of time had had any other
experiences which could suggest the hypothesis that those hidden
computations were assisted by any mind external to themselves.
DR. BRAMWELL replied that in none of the cases of which he had
spoken had there been any phenomena pointing in that direction.
MR. WALTER LEAF suggested that automatic writing might, as in
one of Moll's experiments, be successful in extracting information as
to the deeper hypnotic consciousness when the patient could give no
information verbally. He also asked whether any information could
be given about the synchronism of the clocks used in timing the
experiments. When a number of minutes were to be reckoned from
the clock in Dr. Bramwell's room, and were exactly computed as
checked by another clock in the patient's home, it would seem, in view
of the great improbability of the exact accordance of both clocks, that
the due time must have been calculated out (rather than counted
continuously) and timed by the clock used to check it. He thought it
would increase the value of the test if, when the suggestions were
made, the patient were not told the actual time.
DR. BRAMWELL replied that sometimes as many as six suggestions,
each representing an interval of many thousand minutes, were given
at once, and that these started from different imaginary times. In
addition, many of the experiments were fulfilled when the patient had
been asleep for several hours in his presence and in that of other
observers. On these occasions, she could not consult the time, as the
only clock in the room had not been going for three years.
SIR CHARLES ELLIOT asked whether the improvements in sight and
hearing of which Dr. Bramwell had spoken as caused by suggestion had
been permanent.
DR. BRAMWELL replied that in one instance where hypersesthesia of
hearing had been produced, in a subject suffering from partial deafness,
this had persisted for several years. The improvement in the range of
vision was fully maintained, according to an independent observer, at
the end of twelve months.
THE CHAIRMAN remarked that it was most satisfactory to be
assured, as the result of Dr. Bramwell's wide experience, that no evils
of any kind need be apprehended from hypnotic treatment under
260 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1896.
trustworthy medical care. He was sure, however, that Dr. Bramwell
agreed that hypnotism was not a thing to be played with by irresponsible
persons, or without a genuine therapeutic or scientific purpose. To this
Dr. Bramwell signified cordial assent.
CASES.
L. 1080. Impressions.
The following are instances of apparently clairvoyant impres-
sions occurring during severe illness, and recorded by the medical
man in attendance. It is difficult or impossible to say whether
the morbid condition really facilitated the impressions, or whether,
as some clairvoyants are strongly of opinion, good health is the
most favourable condition for the exercise of the faculty. And it
must, of course, be remembered that there is more scope for chance
coincidences of the vision with the reality during a state in which
hallucinations, or at least delusions, are frequent.
The account is given by Dr. P. C. Sutphin, who writes to Dr.
Hodgson : —
Glasgow, Ky., October 19th, 1891.
DEA?. DR. HODGSON, — In corresponding with you in regard to young
Mr. Taylor, our Glasgow (Ky. ) mind-reader, I took occasion at one time in
that correspondence to give you in brief the details of two cases of supposed
clairvoyance, in highly diseased conditions, that came under my professional
notice some years ago. As you ask me to furnish you a fuller and more
detailed statement of these cases, I cheerfully comply with your request, and
herewith send you the following facts in regard to them.
The first case named to you was that of Mrs. Short, aged 40 years, a
highly respectable widow lady of Hart Co., Ky. In the autumn of 1874, she
was taken with typhoid fever, and was waited on several weeks for that
disease by Dr. Donan, a well educated and highly successful and popular
practitioner, who lived (and still lives) at Three Springs, a small village, with
post-office, some four miles distant from here. The case proving intractable
and finally becoming hopeless, Dr. D. withdrew from it, when I, who then
lived seven miles off, was sent for. I found Mrs. S., as I expected to find
her, in a very bad condition, though with enough vitality of system, seemingly,
to enable her to hold out for some days at least. She suffered from insomnia ;
for which, however, she would let me do but little, as she said that she was
already dead and physic wouldn't now do her any good. Handing her some
medicine one day, she attempted to throw it back in my face, indignantly
saying that I ought to have had more sense than to try to give it to her,
when I knew she was dead. She talked incessantly ; her conversation being
altogether on what, in commonplace language, would be called the
"nonsensical." Sometimes she sang; usually improvising her own verse.
JUNK, 1896.1 Cases. 267
She knew those who were attending to her and all acquaintances that came
in to see her. With much trouble about the brain, there was an intensely
excited condition of the nervous system. All this, however, is not unusual
in typhoid fever ; at least I have not unfrequently seen it in cases that I have
waited on ; and I only mention it to show the more especial condition of her
mind whilst I was attending her. Being on a visit to her one day, I heard
her say that a sister of hers, living in the State of Missouri, several hundred
miles distant, had gotten well, but that one of her children that she named
had died "last Thursday." In the meantime, a letter had recently been
received by the family from Mr. Hawks, the husband of the sister, stating
that his wife was seriously ill with probably "chills and fever," but that the
rest of the family were well. Mrs. Short died in a day or two after her
remark about her sister and the child, and soon after her death, a letter was
received from the sister, saying that she had recovered from her sickness,
but that one of her children had died ; naming the same child and the same
day it died on, that Mrs. S. had named. It is proper to say that she had
heard of her sister's illness through the letter first named, but that neither
she nor the family had had any intelligence as to her recovery or the death
of the child, until the second letter came. p Q SUTPHIV
Glasgow, Ky., October Vdth, 1891.
DEAR DR. HODGSON, . . . — In stating this case, it would be difficult,,
in the highly diseased condition present, to say as to the value to be attached
to it as indicating clairvoyance — whether the thought as to the sister and
child was not the product of the imagination, and the fact of the one
having recovered her health and the other having died was not "mere
coincidence ; " or whether the psychical condition was not such, really, as to
throw the mind en rapport with the Missouri home of the sister, leading thus
to an actual perception and knowledge of the facts stated. Leaving this for
others better versed in these subjects than myself to determine, I come
next to
Case 2. Mrs. Kate Overfelt, set. 65, mother of Mrs. Short. Lived
[within] 200 yards of the latter. Was taken with typhoid fever soon after
her daughter died. Sick some six weeks. Recovery. Died of pneumonia in
1882. I waited on her in both attacks. Her typhoid attack was character-
ised, in the way of head symptoms, by a somnolent state throughout, up to
convalescence. No delirium or wandering of the mind or talking in her
sleep. When aroused, fully "at herself." It was probably in the third or
fourth week of her illness that I aroused her one day, when, after a little,
she said, "Doctor, did I dream it or did I see it ? I thought I saw Fielding
Hawks and his family come through Shakertown yesterday at twelve o'clock
in a covered wagon." I jocularly replied that I presumed that must have
been a dream, as I did not know of any one that could see a distance of some
65 miles through the walls of a house. " Well, it may have been a dream,"
she said, " though it looked as plain as if I saw it." I thought no more of
this until a few days afterwards, when I learned that Mr. Hawks, — before
mentioned in this, and the son-in-law of Mrs. 0., — had returned to Kentucky
268 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1896.
from Missouri, with his family, intending to make Kentucky his home again.
Seeing Mr. H. at Mrs. O.'s in a short time, I learned from him that he and
his wife "took a notion, all at once, to come back to Kentucky," and as
money was scarce and they had a " team," they concluded to come back as
they went out, that is, in a waggon. He nor any of his family had written
as to his returning, as he thought it unnecessary to write, and besides,
wanted to take the family " on surprise." They were more desirous of
returning, owing to the death of Mrs. S. and the illness of Mrs. 0. Upon
enquiry I was told by Mr. H.,who, I learn, now resides in Missouri again, that
he passed through Shakertown on the day and (as he examined his watch to
see the time of day) at the precise hour named by Mrs. Overfelt.
In this case, again, it would be difficult to say what part the diseased and
congested condition of the brain played in the matter, — whether the whole
was the "mere dream" with its accompanying coincidence, or what the
explanation of the phenomena presented in the case was, though it is most
probable that in both this and Mrs. Short's case there was true clair-
voyance, superinduced by the diseased conditions present It
is probable that if physicians generally were cons ulted on this subject,
very many cases could be obtained illustrative of this fact. It may be, in
fact, that clairvoyance itself is an abnormal, or more or less diseased,
condition of the brain or nervous system, congenital or otherwise, and thus
it would not be remarkable that it could be excited into action, where it
existed in a latent form in certain cases, by certain diseases acting as highly
exciting causes.
But this will be sufficient for the present on this subject, as I do not
think it necessary to go into any in extenso details of these cases. It is
proper to remark that, in the end, I waited on Mis. O., five of her children
and one grandchild, for typhoid fever, but only in the two cases named was
there any clairvoyance.
Living 22 miles now from my former location in Hart Co., I am not now
able to confer personally with those who I think may have been present
when Mrs. S. and Mrs. 0. made the remarks just alluded to, but have
recently written to Mr. J. W. Poynter, Three Springs P. O., Hart Co., Ky.,
in regard to the matter, and he has kindly permitted me to give both him
and his wife as references in the case. Mr. Poynter is a son-in-law of
Mrs. O. and writes me that he was "present when both conversations
occurred," and is well acquainted with the facts as stated by me. In the
interim Mr. Hawks, I understand, now lives in Mo., but I do not know
his P. O.
P. C. SUTPHIN.
In answer to Dr. Hodgson's request for corroborative testimony,
Dr. Sutphin writes : —
Glasgow, Ky., November 10th, 1891.
DEAR DOCTOR, . . . — I presume I could get the address of Mr.
Hawks for you, though he could say nothing as to the matter, of his own
knowledge, save that he came through " Shakertown " (South Union) on the
JUNE, 1896.] Cases. 269
day referred to by me. As the cases named to you, whilst interesting, never-
theless carry no especial importance with them, I trust you will be satisfied
with what Mr. Poynter and his wife may say about them, if you have written
to them,— as both stand very high in their community and probably know more
about the cases than any one else except myself. An old hired nurse, who
was with Mrs. Short, I think was present when she made the remarks
mentioned to you, but I think she is dead. A granddaughter, I think, heard
Mrs. Overfelt say what she did, but she died also six or eight years ago. If
I had time, I could go to the neighbourhood and probably find others who
were familar with the circumstances, and I will go if you exact it, though I
hope that what I have said and what Mr. P. and wife may say will be
satisfactory, as I haven't time really to leave home just now, and don't know
whom to write to in regard to them. I supposed Mr. P. and wife were
familiar with them, as they were with the family all the time whilst they
were sick. Others were there a good deal, but I do not now recollect who of
them were there at the times referred to. p /-, CUTPHIN
Dr. Hodgson wrote to Mr. Poynter and received the following
reply : —
Three Springs, Ky., December 29th, 1891.
DR. R. HODGSON, — DEAR SIR, — Owing to sickness in my family, I have
not been able to reply to your letter until this date. Dr. Sutphin has
informed me what he wrote you in regard to the cases of Mrs. Short and
Mrs. Overfelt. I am a son-in-law of Mrs. Overfelt, and was much both
with her and Mrs. Short during her illness. I heard Mrs. Short in presence
of Dr. Sutphin and some others say that her sister in Mo., Mrs. Hawks, was
well, but that one of her children was dead. I also knew that Mrs. Hawks
had been reported by letter as being dangerously sick while the rest of the
family were said to have been well. This was the only letter which had
been received from Mr. Hawks' family in regard to Mrs. Hawks' health
before Mrs. Short's remarks as just stated. Soon after Mrs. Short's death,
another letter came in from the family stating that Mrs. Hawks had
recovered, but that one of her children (the one named by Mrs. Short) had
died on a certain day, also named by Mrs. Short.
I was also present when Mrs. Overfelt remarked to Dr. Sutphin that she
either dreamed or saw her son-in-law, Mr. Fielding Hawks, come through
Shakertown yesterday with his family about noon in a wagon. I was
informed by Mr. Hawks, who came in soon, that he did pass there with his
family in a wagon at the hour named by Mrs. Overfelt. It is proper
to say that neither Mrs. Overfelt nor any of the family had been
notified of Mr. Hawks' intention of moving back to Kentucky.
Hoping that this may be satisfactory to you, 1 have the honour to be very
respectfully, j w poyNTER
I am the daughter of Mrs. Short, and was present when the remarks of
Mrs. Overfelt and Mrs. Short [were] made as stated by Mr. Poynter. [I]
fully corroborate all that Mr. Poynter has said in regard to the case.
ALICE B. MEADOWS.
270 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1896.
My wife was not present on the occasion on account of inability, but
she is familiar with the facts from hearsay. She is a daughter of Mrs.
Overfelt.
J. W. POYNTER.
Mr. Poynter wrote again in answer to a second letter from
Dr. Hodgson : —
Monroe, Hart Co., Ky., January 25th, 1892.
R. HODGSON, ESQ., — DEAR SIR, — I received a letter from you in regard
to more information in the cases of Mrs. Overfelt and Short. I have made
all enquiry that can be made, I think, have not found any one to refer
you to.
You will find, enclosed, Mrs. A. B. Meadows' statement written and
signed in her own hand. Hoping that will suit you,
J. W. POYNTER.
The statement enclosed was as follows : —
Monroe, Hart Co., Ky.
[Received January 29th, 1892].
MR. HODGSON, — You said that you had rather have my signature about
what my mother and grandmother said when they were sick. She was very
low with the typhoid fever ; her sister was living in Mo. She told us one
night her little boy was dead, she said she [had] seen him in heaven. We got
a letter from my aunt in a short time, stating that he died that very night.
My grandmother was taken with the same fever. She did not know
anything. She told us one day that she saw aunt and uncle coming through
Shakertown in a covered wagon. We did not know that they [were] coming,
but they got here in a short time and said that they came through Shaker-
town at that very time. ALICE R MEADOWS-
L. 1081. Dream.
The following case was sent to Mr. Myers, on December 20th,
1895, by Miss C. M. Bruce.
My first experience concerning dreams coming true occurred in 1887|
during the Jubilee week. In July, my sister and I occupied the same bed-
room, and on the Thursday I awoke her with the statement that an old
friend of my father's had just died. The dream which came to me was
extremely vivid. I saw my father receive a telegram, which I read over his
shoulder, stating that Admiral Erskine died, aged 81, at the Albany,
London. Next morning I told my father, and he said that Admiral Erskine
was then in Scotland, and he did not think the age correct, but two days
afterwards we saw the announcement in the Times of the death, according
to my dream, Thursday, age 81, at the Albany. I may add I had not seen
Admiral Erskine for years, and we had not been talking of him before my
dream.
(Signed) CORINNA M. BRUCE.
M. RICHARDS.
GRACE K. BRUCB.
WILLIAM C. BRUCE.
JUNE, 1896.] Gases. 271
Miss Bruce writes later to Mr. Myers : —
Vyera, Ascot, December 23rd, 1895.
In reply to your question concerning my sister, Grace occupied my
room. M. Richards is our old maid, to whom I told my dream the morning
after I dreamt it. I do not know the hour Admiral Erskine died.
No, Admiral Erskine did not care for children, he was only a great friend of
my father's.
The Times Obituary of Saturday, June 25th, 1887, gives : " On
23rd June, at LI, Albany, Piccadilly, Admiral John Elphinstone
Erskine, late M.P. for Stirlingshire." The age at time of death is
not given.
It will be observed that the month is given wrongly in Miss
Bruce's account ; but the Thursday in Jubilee week, on which she says
that her dream occurred, was June 23rd, " Jubilee week " beginning
on Monday, June 20th.
L. 1082. Ad Pn Apparition.
The next case was obtained through Miss M. H. Mason. Mrs.
Sidgwick had an interview with the percipient on April 13th, 1896,
and writes : —
Mrs. Jamieson is at present servant to Miss M. H. Mason, of 21, Queen's
Mansions, Victoria-street, and she and her husband, a retired soldier, live
there. Mrs. Jamieson seems to be a very intelligent person, and told her
story well with very little questioning and with every appearance of wishing
to make it as accurate as she could. At the time it occurred she was about
eighteen, and was expecting a baby. She was in rather a nervous state, I
gathered, and she was anxious about her mother who was dying of cancer.
But she remembers that on the particular evening before the vision she had
not been fretting ; in fact, she had been having a very cheerful evening with
other young people.
I did not myself see Mr. Jamieson, who was out. Miss Mason asked him
for the corroboration, which he has sent.
I took the following story down as Mrs. Jamieson related it, reading it
over to her sentence by sentence, and she signed it at the end.
ELEANOR MILDRED SIDGWICK.
April 13th, 1896.
In July, 1877, as shown by the memorial card, Mrs. Jamieson knew that
her mother was ill and dying. She, Mrs. J., was at Aldershot with her
husband, and was to go and see her mother in about a week. One night she
awoke feeling thirsty. She had not dreamt of her mother. Not caring to
disturb her husband, she thought she would get water for herself. When
about to get out of bed, she saw in the white dimity curtains at the foot of
the bed the features of her mother, the whole figure standing upright, with
272 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1896.
her face bound up as if dead — like her mother, but not as though alive. Mrs.
Jamieson is not certain whether there was a light in the room or not. Mrs.
Jamieson lay back in her bed and did not look for a minute or so, then
looking up, saw it again and leant forward and shook the curtains. The
figure disappeared ; but at the same time she saw the " shadow " of her
father just in the same form and appearance on the other curtain. She
looked again and that was gone. She did not wake her husband at once, but
did about a quarter of an hour after, as she felt faint, and later in the night
told him what she had seen. About eight o'clock the next morning, a
telegram came, saying her mother had died at three o'clock. She is quite
sure that her vision occurred on the same night, or rather morning, as the
telegram was received.
Mrs. Jamieson's mother, Mrs. Griffith, died on July 13th, 1877, at
Chester. Her father did not die for many years after.
When Mrs. Jamieson saw the vision, she felt sure her mother was dead.
The face being bound up made her feel more convinced.
(Signed) JANE ANNE JAMIESON.
Mr. Jamieson writes : —
21, Queen's Mansions, Victoria-street, S.W., April 13th, 1896.
MADAM, — I recollect on July 13th, 1877, at North Camp, Aldershot, my
wife waking me up about 3 a.m. and telling me she saw a vision of her
mother on the bed curtains, and four or five hours afterwards she received a
telegram that her mother had died that morning. -p JAMIESON
In this case the form taken by the apparition is to be noted. Its
being seen in the curtain suggests that it was to some extent an
illusion rather than a hallucination, or at least that the curtain may
have acted as a kind of point de repere for it. Some cases of a similar
kind in this respect are given in Chapter V. of the " Report on the
Census of Hallucinations," Proceedings S.P.R., Yol. X. Two of these
closely resemble the one here printed, namely, one on p. 105, where
an apparition was seen against a mantelpiece which seemed to supply a
favourable background for it ; and another on p. 106, where an indis-
tinct figure, gradually becoming quite clear and then fading away
again, was seen in the folds of a curtain. There is no clear evidence,
however, that these cases were veridical, though the psychological
process of perception seems to have been of exactly the same nature
in them as in Mrs. Jamieson's experience.
P. 152. Dream.
Received through the American Branch of the Society, from Mrs.
M. R. Clements, who writes : —
13, Davis Ave,, Brookline, Mass., January 25th, 1895.
Friday morning early, I dreamed I was in a depot, and an old man caught
JUNK, 1896.] Cases. 273
my pocket-book from my hand. I called "Police," and when they came I
said, " No matter, there is nothing in it but some small change." I told this
dream at 9a.m., Saturday, to the lady in whose house I had been passing the
night. I had paid her all the money I carried with me during a little
business transaction, except some change. When I told this she gave me
back one dollar (thinking I might need it for something). I left Brockton on
the 11.35 a.m. train, went from O. Colony to Albany. Opening my purse to
see about time-table on street; in Boston sat in A[lbany] Depot about twenty
minutes and was interested in looking at an old man. Then went into ladies'
room ; came out and missed my pocket-book. I am sure I did not carry it in
ladies' room. Old man gone when I came out. Then I told ticket-agent.
He gave me a ticket to come home. I never thought of dream until I was on
cars. The reality was almost identical with dream. How can any one account
for this, as no human being could have known I was to lose my purse ? . . .
(MRS.) L. R. CLEMENTS.
In reply to Dr. Hodgson's enquiries, Mrs. Clements writes : —
Brookline, January 28th, 1895.
DEAR SIR, — Your kind letter received. In reply will say the dream
occurred Saturday morning some time, January 19th, 1895. I do not feel
sure that the old man in Albany Station resembled the man in my dream.
He was so queer-looking that he was interesting to me. I do not think he
got my purse, but think the woman who sat next to me has it. Why the
old man came into the dream was because he attracted my attention.
I have had other dreams that came true, but they were a long time ago,
and I cannot give dates exactly.
January, 1893, I was in Brunswick, Ga. , about 9.30 Sunday morning ;
I was buttoning my boots, and my sister, who had been ill a long time in
Maine, touched me on the shoulder. I said to my companion, ' ' Mary is
dead — she just came to me." We were travelling, and I received no word
from my sisters for three weeks. At last in Philadelphia 1 got the letter,
telling me of the death just the time I felt the touch — allowing for the dif-
ference in the Eastern and Southern time.
I can account for that, however. Maine laws are only for drunkards ; a
very sick person can get nothing of an alcoholic nature. I told her in the fall
when I was there I would send her all the porter she needed. Just before
I went South I expressed a box to her. She used to say to the other sister,
" How good I was to send her the beer." When she was dying, the sister
who was with her put a spoonful of the liquor between her lips, and that
turned her last thoughts to me. At least this is my idea.
The address you asked for is Mrs. D. M. Holbrook, 78, Huntington-
street, Brockton, Mass. L R CLEMENTS.
Mrs. Holbrook was the lady with whom Mrs. Clements was staying
on the occasion of her dream. She replies to Dr. Hodgson's request
for her corroboration : —
274 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 1896.
Brockton, Mass., June 19th, 1895.
DEAR SIR, — In reply to your letter about Mrs. Clements' dream, I will
write as near as I can remember.
About the last of January, Mrs. Clements came to my house and stopped
all night. In the morning she said to me, ' ' I dreamed last night I lost my
purse ; I dreamed I was in the Albany Station and a man snatched it out of
my hand and ran with it;" — she then told the ticket agent and he gave her a
ticket for home.
A day or two after Mrs. Clements went home, I received a letter from
her saying she lost her purse, but did not know how she had lost it or where.
A. M. HOLBROOK.
CORRESPONDENCE.
[The Editor is not responsible for opinions expressed bit Correspondents.']
We quote the narrative given in the following letter on account of
the curiously close resemblance between the phenomena alleged to
have occurred in the case of the South Sea Islander and those some-
times reported to occur in the trances of mediums belonging to more
civilised countries. It is, of course, impossible, from the nature of the
case, to obtain now any satisfactory evidence that supernormal powers
were really exercised. But the widespread primitive belief in
phenomena of this kind shows that automatic manifestations tend to
take similar forms all over the world.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
Thursday Island, Torres' Straits, Queensland, Australia.
August 1st, 1894.
DEAR SIR, — During a long course of years I have had exceptional
opportunities of hearing, from coloured people of all parts, stories connected
with spiritistical beliefs : and this is one of them.
# # * #
Gowna' s story. — " My name is Ganna, I am a South Sea Islander. I am
a Christian, everybody know me, I won't tell a proper lie. I have been a
long time away from my country ; in the Fiji Islands, in Brisbane ; and
lately pearl-fishing in Thursday Island, Torres' Straits.
"Well, you know when I was in Fijis, I was working with a lot of South
Sea people at the Island of Goira at cotton work, in Fiji, and there was one
sick man bad with dysentery ; he was an " Omba " man, from the South Sea
Islands too. Well, we used to look out for him whenever we could. Well,
one day one of his countrymen went to see if he wanted anything and found
him very bad (insensible), and he was talking, but it was not his voice that
was speaking : it was in his belly he was talking. And at last our people
JUNE, 1896.] Supplementary Library Catalogue. 275
got talking about it, because he began to talk to everybody in their own
language. Now I know very well that fellow did not understand my
language, yet he told me all about my country and what people were dead
there. And he told true, because I find it out after, from them other boy
that come from my place after. So we must believe it, you know.
"Well, after that night time that fellow always talk while he was sick.
And four or five men went inside the house, but they only see the dead man
like (he was in a trance, I suppose), and when they strike matches they could
see nobody. Only they can't stop a long time inside : we all try it ; but
everybody was afraid to stop long, Something make them run away. They
never see anything, only they can't stop inside ; — and the boys outside that
sit down round the hut (made native fashion of interlaced bamboo or cane),
they see the hand belong to those people that talk — those dead people —
and they catch hold of them, and the hands were very small and cold, and
the fingers were very short like (like the length of only one joint).
" But these people spoke true, and told us in our own language everything.
That man he get all right again after that, he live all right, he not die. But
he don't know anything about that time he was sick. I never been see any-
thing like that before, but I hear in Mackay, in Queensland, in the sugar
plantation, that they been see the same thing like that. Tom Torry was with
me that time too, and he know all about that kind of thing I tell you
about. "
This is Ganna's story of the Island of Canna Canna. Whether this is our
name or not, I do not know. I fancy the true name is Laccon of the chart.
His evidence is very reliable indeed.
* * * *
WM. ROBERT AUGEAR.
SUPPLEMENTARY LIBRARY CATALOGUE.
Additions since the last list ( JOURNAL for July, 1895).
THE EDMUND GURNEY LIBRARY.
BOIRAC (E.), L'Hypothese du Magne"tisme Animal (La Nouvelle
Revue, October 1st, 1895) Paris, 1895
CAHAGNET (L. ALPHONSE) Arcanes de la Vie future de'voile's. 3 vols.
Paris, 1848-60
JOLY (HENRI) Psychologic des Grands Hommes Paris, 1891
DESSOIR (MAX) Das Doppel-ich (2nd, Enlarged, Edition). Leipzig, 1896*
* Presented by the Author.
276 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JUNE, 18%.
THE GENERAL LIBRARY.
BAKER (RACHEL). Remarkable Sermons of, delivered during Sleep.
Taken down by Dr. Mitchell, M.D., and others London, 1815
BUCHANAN (J. R., M.D.) Manual of Psychometry (4th Edition)
Boston, U.S.A., 1893+
BURTHOGGE (R., M.D.) Essay on Reason and the Nature of
Spirits London, 1694 J
BURTON (LADY). The Life of Sir Richard Burton. 2 vols.... London, 1893
CASAUBON (MERIC, D.D.). A Treatise proving Spirits, Witches, and
Supernatural operations by Pregnant Instances and Evidences
London, 1672
DESERTIS (V. C.). Psychic Philosophy as the Foundation of a
Religion of Natural Law London, 1896§
DYER (T. F. THISELTON). The Ghost World London, 1893
HUDSON (THOMAS J.) A Scientific Demonstration of the Future
Life Chicago, 1895f
"Light." Bound volume for 1895 London, 1895 1|
MACDONALD (ARTHUR). Abnormal Man. Being Essays on Education,
Crime, and related subjects (Bureau of Education)... Washington, 1893
OLCOTT (HENRY S.). Old Diary Leaves NewYorJc, 1895H
PANTON (D.M.). Spiritualism : Its origin and true character. London, 1895*
PORPHYRY THE PHILOSOPHER to his Wife Marcella. Translated by
Alice Zimmern. Preface by Richard Garnett, LL.D London, 1896
UNDERWOOD (SARA A.). Automatic or Spirit- Writing, with other
Psychic Experiences Chicago, 1896**
VAMPIRES of ONSET, The, Pa%t and Present Boston, U.S.A., 1892
WALLACE (ALFRED RUSSEL, F.lf.S.). Miracles and Modern Spiritua-
lism. Revised Edition, with chapters on Apparitions and
Phantasms London, 1896
YEAR-BOOK OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND LEARNED SOCIETIES of Great
Britain and Ireland. Thirteenth Annual Issue London, 1896
* Presented by the Author.
+ Presented by Major-General F. Wheeler.
J Presented by Miss Rhodes.
§ Presented.
II Presented by the London Spiritualist Alliance.
If Presented by the Publisher.
** Presented by the late Mr. J. H. McVicker.
\'o. CXXXI.-VoL. VII. JULY, 1S!)<>.
JOURNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS.
New Members and Associates
PAGE
277
277
278
Cases
282
Correspondence
291
NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.
Names of Members are printed in Black Type.
Names of Associates are printed in SMALL CAPITALS.
HARRIS, REV. CHAS., M. A., The Institute, Mansfield-st., Haggerston, N.E.
HARRIS, CAPTAIN C. S., Broadlands House, Brockenhurst, Hants.
Ho well, Alexander, 109, High-street, Portsmouth.
vMontagU,The Lady Cecil Scott, The Lodge, Beaulieu, Southampton.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
BEST, MRS. ALBERT S., 15, W. 121st street, New York, N.Y.
MORSE, J. J., Hotel Bella Vista, Pine-street, San Francisco, Cal.
RADCLIFFE-WHITEHEAD, RALPH, Santa Barbara, Cal.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A. meeting of the Council was held on July 10th, at the West-
minster Town Hall, the President in the chair. There were also
present, Professor H. Sidgwick, Professor W. F. Barrett, Sir Augustus
K. Stephenson, Dr. J. Milne Bramwell, Dr. Abraham Wallace, and
Messrs. F. Podmore, H. Arthur Smith, and R. Pearsall Smith.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and signed as correct.
Two new Members and two new Associates were elected, whose
names and addresses are given above.
The election of three new Associates of the American Branch (one
of whom, Mr. Ralph Radcliffe-Whitehead, joins as a Life Associate)
was recorded.
278 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, 1896.
The Council having heard with deep regret of the recent death of
Mrs. Myers, senr., one of the original Members of the Society, it was
resolved, on the proposal of Professor Barrett, to convey to Mr.
F. W. H. Myers the expression of their sincere sympathy.
The Council also recorded with regret the decease of Miss Mary
Curtis, one of the oldest of the Honorary Associates of the Society.
A vote of thanks to Dr. J. M. Bramwell for some copies of
reprints of two articles of his own, kindly presented to the Library,
was passed.
It was resolved that the Seal of the Society be affixed to a transfer
of the Invested Funds of the Society, from the names of the Trustees,
to the name of the Society itself.
The report of the House and Finance Committee received further
consideration. A resolution was adopted dealing with the supply of
the Society's publications to the American Branch. After full ex-
pression of opinion on various points, it was agreed, in the unavoidable
absence of Mr. Myers, that any further conclusions should be deferred
until the meeting of the Council at the beginning of October.
It was resolved that General Meetings of the Society be held at
the Westminster Town Hall, on Friday, October 30th, at 8.30 p.m.,
on Friday, December 4th, at 4 p.m., and on Friday, January 29th, 1897,
at 4 p.m. Also that the Annual Meeting of the Members of the
Society be held at the same place, on Friday, January 29th. at 3 p.m.
It was agreed that the next meeting of the Council be held at the
Society's Rooms, 19, Buckingham Street, on Friday, October 2nd, at
4.30 p.m.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 81st General Meeting of the Society was held at the West-
minster Town Hall on Friday, July 10th, at 4 p.m. ; the President,
MR. CROOKES, in the chair.
DR. J. MILXE BRAMWELL read a paper entitled "What is
Hypnotism ? "
Dr. Bramwell commenced by giving a short account of the Mes-
merists and the controversy between them and James Braid. Accord-
ing to the former, mesmerism was a physical power possessed not only
by man, but also by magnets and other inanimate objects ; according
to the latter, the phenomena were purely subjective, and resulted from
changes in the nervous system, not of the operator, but of the
subject. At first Braid's explanation of the phenomena was a purely
physical one, and since his day various attempts have been made to
JULY, 1896.] General Meeting. 279
explain hypnosis from the same standpoint. Dr. Bramwell gave an
account of three of these.
1. The Salpetriere theory, which explained hypnotic phenomena
by the assumption of a morbid nervous condition. This position has
been rendered untenable since very extended statistics have shown
that 95 per cent of mankind at large can be hypnotised, and that the
most difficult to influence are the hysterical and ill-balanced. Many
of the errors of the mesmerists, in reference to magnets, have been
revived by this school, and apparently from the same cause, viz.,
failure to recognise the influence • of mental impressions during
physical experiments.
2. Heidenhain's theory, which explains the phenomena by a
cerebral inhibition, and entirely depends upon the assumption that
hypnotic acts are performed unconsciously. The experimental demon-
stration of the conscious nature of hypnotic acts robs this theory of
all value.
3. The theory of Mr. Ernest Hart, which explains the phenomena
by means of cerebral anjernia. There are two fatal objections to this
view. (1.) It has been experimentally proved that cerebral amemia is
absent during hypnosis. (2.) Changes in the blood supply of the brain
are not the cause, but the result, of changes in the activity of the
nervous matter.
Braid's later theories explained the phenomena entirely from a
psychical standpoint. He considered the condition essentially one
of mono-ideism. This view was adopted by Professor John Hughes
Bennett in 1851 and explained physiologically by the assumption of a
functional disturbance in the " fibres of association," with resulting
suspension of the connexion between the ganglion cells of the cerebral
cortex. Psychologically he explained it by " dominant ideas." A
suggested idea acquired undue prominence because, owing to the
disconnexion between the cerebral ganglion cells, it was unattended
by its usual swarm of subsidiary ideas and lacked their controlling
influence. The genesis of ideas was not interfered with, only their
voluntary synthesis. At a much later date, this psychological explana-
tion was adopted by Professor Bernheim. His views differ, however,
from those of Braid and Bennett on one important point. The latter
presupposed a definite change in the nervous system as essential for the
production of hypnotic phenomena ; the former thinks that the only
difference between the hypnotised and the normal subject consists in
the increased suggestibility of the former and finds in " suggestion "
an explanation of all hypnotic phenomena. Hypnotic phenomena,
however, differ frequently in kind, as well as in degree, from those of
280 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, 1896.
the normal state, and the subjects who are most suggestible in
hypnosis are generally those who had constantly resisted suggestion in
the normal condition.
Dr. Bramwell referred at length to Professor Bernheim's view that
crime could be successfully suggested to the hypnotised subject. He
pointed out that this belief rested entirely upon laboratory experiment
and the assumption that the subject was passing through a mental
condition similar to that of the operator. A simple and important
test had been omitted, namely, that of. questioning the subject in
hypnosis as to his own mental state. When this was done, it was
invariably found that the subject fully recognised the imaginary and
experimental nature of the suggested crime. Dr. Bramwell held that
neither the intelligence nor the volition were necessarily interfered
with in hypnosis, and that the subjects, instead of being ready to
commit crimes, in reality developed increased moral sensitiveness.
Dr. Bramwell pointed out that there existed a powerful argument
against the explanation of hypnosis by means of mono-ideism or
dominant ideas, namely, that a wide range of different phenomena
could be simultaneously manifested by the hypnotised subject.
The most recent explanation of hypnotism, and apparently the
most satisfactory, was to be found in the supposed tapping of some
sub-conscious state and the evoking of a secondary personality.
According to this view, the hypnotised subject, instead of being a
stunted and maimed individual, in reality possessed far-reaching
powers over his own organism which were not paralleled in the
waking state. The researches of Azam and others have demonstrated
the existence of alternating personalities without the intervention of
hypnosis, while recent hypnotic observations not only show the
existence of the alternating personalities, but demonstrate also that
they co-exist and communicate with each other. Before this theory
can be accepted as a complete explanation of hypnotic phenomena, one
is entitled to demand an answer to two questions. (1.) What is the
connexion between hypnotic methods and the production of the
sub-conscious state ? (2.) How did the secondary personality acquire
its rich physical and mental endowments ? To the first question,
according to Dr. Bramwell, nothing approaching a satisfactory reply
has yet been given. An attempt has been made to explain the latter
by the assumption that the secondary personality was able to
voluntarily control functions, which in some lower ancestral form
had been performed consciously, but were now, as the result of
development, performed automatically. Dr. Bramwell pointed out that
there were many objections to this explanation, chiefly in regard to the
JULY, 1896.] General Meeting. 281
intellectual phenomena of hypnosis. The increased intelligence and
higher refinement of the hypnotised subject could hardly be explained
by the assumption that one had evoked the lost powers of some lower
animal type.
DR. LLOYD TUCKEY said that he could confirm from his own
experience much of what Dr. Brarnwell had said, in particular with
regard to healthy persons of strong intellect being hypnotisable and
hypnotism doing no harm. For instance, he had many times
hypnotised a man who afterwards became a high Wrangler. He also
thought that hypnotised persons were able to decide what suggestions
they would take and what they would not take.
DR. WYLD considered that the differentiation between hypnotism
and mesmerism had not been sufficiently brought out by Dr. Brarnwell.
The mesmerist believed in an aura emanating from himself, which
produced the effects ; on the hypnotic theory, this was denied. He
considered that the existence of the aura in his own case was proved
by tingling in the ends of his fingers, and by exhaustion indicating
loss of vitality. The aura was visible to some hypnotised persons and
that this could not be imaginary was shown by their always seeing it
alike. It could also occasionally be photographed. He asked how
Dr. Bramwell would account for the success of the mesmerist in
curing without verbal suggestion where the hypnotist with all his
suggestion had failed.
DR. BRAMWELL replied that the abandonment of belief in mesmeric
phenomena and in the aura was simply due to the more careful
observations of hypnotists. The seeing of an aura by hypnotised
persons had been tested by Braid and found to be imaginary, and the
photographs never appeared when precautions to avoid deception were
adopted.
PROFESSOR BARRETT asked how, on Dr. Bramwell's theory, with
which he largely agreed, certain facts tending to show the reality of
an effluence could be accounted for. He had himself been entirely
sceptical on the point till the experiments he conducted with Mr.
Gurney on the anaesthetisation of separate fingers had convinced him
that there was such a thing.*
*The later experiments of Mrs. Sidgwick and Miss Johnson with the same
hypnotist (Mr. G, A bmith), however, point to thought-transference as an explana-
tion and certainly seem to exclude physical influence. They obtained the effects
when the operator did not, hold his hand over the subject's hand at all, but merely
stood with folded arms looking at the finger to be affected, being himself out of sight
of the subject and at a distance from him varying from about 2£ feet to about 12 feet,
(dee Proceedings, Vol. VIII., pp. 577-593).— ED.
282 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, 1896
MR. J. ENMORE JONES stated that he had felt an aura issuing
from his hands, and described an instance which appeared to him to
prove that the seeing of an aura emanating from certain objects was
not imaginary.
CASES.
L. 1083. Dreams.
From Miss E. K. BATES.
The following case of what the percipient describes as " a
' haunting ' by the living," affords an interesting parallel to the more
familiar type of cases in which " haunting " is supposed to be asso-
ciated with the dead. It may be remembered that in the " Report on
the Census of Hallucinations," under the heading " Local Apparitions
of Living Persons," (Proceedings, Vol. X., pp. 356 — 363) cases were
given of apparitions of living persons seen independently by more
than one percipient in the same place ; but in none of these cases was
there any evidence that the " haunting " was due to the agency of
the person represented by the apparition.
In the case here printed, on the other hand, there is a definite
association of the person with the place, which suggests a determining
cause for the manifestations.
The account was enclosed in a letter from Miss Bates to Mr.
Myers, dated May 25th, 1896.
I came to 35, Trumpington-street, [Cambridge], on the afternoon of
Monday, May 18th, having been told of the lodgings by Mrs. Wherry. My
friend, Miss Wale, left me that evening and returned to Shelford for the
night, which I therefore spent alone in my rooms.
When she returned next morning, I told her that I had spent a most
wretched night, being tormented by dreams of a man whom I had not seen
or heard of for many years past,* bub who had at one time and for some 10
years been closely connected with my life. I had a most vivid dream of his
being near me, reproaching me for not having married him and gibing at me
for having made such a failure of my life in consequence. I woke and fell
asleep again several times ; but the same man was always back again in my
dream and saying always the same things. At last during a waking interval,
I felt so strongly that his subconscious self was actually in some way present
with me that I spoke to him in some such words as the following. I said,
" Do go away and leave me in peace. I have only kindly feelings for you,
nnd if you find pleasure in coming here to torment me in this way, it only
* Miss Bates informs us that she knows the gentleman (whose name she has
given us in confidence) to be still living, as she knows his family well.
JULY, 189G.] Cases. 283
proves what a miserable woman I should have been as your wife. I command
you to leave me alone in the name of the Holy Trinity." At length I seemed
to get the better of the very disagreeable influence and fell once more into
an uneasy sleep, and was much relieved when Miss Hardwick (the daughter
of the house) came in with my tea.
When Miss Wale came in from Shelf ord, I told her of my wretched night,
and how unhappy it had made me. The impression was so strong upon me
that I wrote all the details to a great friend of mine, and mentioned the
name of the man who had tormented me to this friend. On two succeeding
occasions during the week I had dreams of the man, but less violent in
character. Still they worried me very much and I said to Miss Wale, "That
man is simply haunting me here. I wonder why. Is Peterhouse near this
street ? — Because nearly 30 years ago, the man was a gentleman commoner
there " (having entered late after being in the navy). Miss Wale told me
Peterhouse was fairly near, but not by any means the nearest college.* The
last time I dreamt of the man I said, " I cannot think why he should worry
me so here. I wonder if he could possibly have ever lodged in this house."
To trace a man who happened to be at Peterhouse 28 years ago seemed
vague enough, but from curiosity I asked Miss Hardwick how long they had
been in the house.
"Seventeen years," was the answer. "Who was here before you?"
" Some people who have left Cambridge and I think are not living," she
said. " Who was here before them ?" was the next question. I added that
I was trying to trace a gentleman who had been many years before a member
of Peterhouse.
Miss Hardwick said that Mr. Peck, the chemist close by, had been in the
house before the people from whom her father took it, but she thought it
would be better to ask the porter of the College about the matter.
"Probably he was not here so long ago, and any way is not likely to remember
exactly where each man lodged 28 years ago," I thought, but said no more
and felt it was rather hopeless to get any light on the subject.
This morning (May 25th) I went to Mr. Peck, the chemist, for some
borax, and on leaving the shop determined to ask what seemed an absurdly
vague question. " Had he occupied 35, Trumpington-street, about 30 years
ago?" "Yes," he said, he had gone there in the 50's. "Had he by any
chance any gentleman lodging there attached to Peterhouse, named ? "
I had absolutely no reason to ask such a question except the strong
impression made by my dreams. "Yes, the gentleman had lodged in the
house for 18 months." Mr. Peck remembered him very vividly and proved
it by producing his photograph, taken with a very large dog whom I had
often seen and whose name, "Leo," Mr. Peck also mentioned. I then
asked what rooms Mr. had occupied. "The large back bedroom
* This is a mistake. Peterhouse is slightly nearer than any other College to 35,
Trumpington Street ; it is on the opposite side of the street, and one corner of the
' ollege would be visible from the front rooms of the house, but almost hidden by
trees.— ED.
284 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, isoo.
over the kitchens," Mr. Peck replied, "and the large front sitting-room."
I sleep in tlie same bedroom and the other room is at present my sitting-
room.
I have only to add that I never set foot in Cambridge till last October ;
never heard of Trumpington-street till then, and had not the vaguest notion
where Mr. 's college days had been spent, whether in lodgings or
the college itself, merely remembering the fact that he had been at
Peterhouse about 1867 or 1868. I barely knew him then, and had certainly
never heard of his rooms or anything about them.
In a further letter on the subject to Mr. Myers, dated May 29th,
Miss Bates says : —
It was so much more definite and realistic than an ordinary
dream, and in the waking intervals I had always the sense of somebody
present, whom I addressed aloud, although I did not see him. . . .
Curiously enough, the disagreeable haunting has ceased since I discovered
that he lived here, but I am still conscious of his presence in a friendly
way. . . .
The following statement, written by Miss Bates for corroboration,
was read over by her to the two witnesses who sign it.
35, Trumpington-street, Cambridge, May 29th, 1896.
[After an account of her experiences, substantially the same as that
given above, but briefer, Miss Bates continues : — ]
Having occasion to procure some drug from Mr. Peck, I took the
opportunity of enquiring if he had rented 35, Trumpington-street some 30
years ago, and if by any chance a gentleman of my friend's name had ever
lodged with him.
Mr. Peck knew the gentleman well, for he had lived with Mr. Peck, at
35, Trumpington-street, for 18 months before going into college rooms. Mr.
Peck showed me a picture of my friend and his dog, the facsimile of which
is in my possession. Without mentioning which rooms in the house I occupy,
I then asked Mr. Peck if he could remember which rooms the gentleman in
question rented during his stay. Without the slightest hesitation Mr. Peck
told me they were the " large back bedroom over the kitchen or living room
and the large front sitting-room."
These are my own two rooms at present. My friend, Miss Wale, was
present when these enquiries were made and so can corroborate them in
every detail, as can also Mr. Peck, to whom I shall read this statement.
E. KATHARINE BATES.
30, Trumpington-street, Cambridge, May 29th, 1896.
I can testify to the truth of the above statement in every particular.
GEORGE PECK, Chemist.
JULY, 1896.] Cases. 285
Little Shelford, near Cambridge, May 29th, 1896.
I can also testify to the truth of this statement in every particular.
MILDRED WALE.
Miss Wale also contributes the following independent statement : —
Little Shelford, May 29th, [1896].
I joined Miss Bates at 35, Trumpington-street, on the morning of
Tuesday, May 19th, when she at once told me of her very disturbed night
owing to her dreams. I was so thankful to hear that the disturbance had
nothing to do with the lodgings that I took very little notice of the dream,
especially as, to the best of my belief, I had never heard the name of the
man. A clay or two afterwards Miss Bates spoke of having dreamt of him
again, and remarked, "He seems to be haunting these rooms." When she
spoke of his having possibly lodged here, I suggested asking the porter of
Peterhouse.
I went into Peck's, the chemist, with Miss Bates, but did not know she
was going to ask Mr. Peck any questions. The conversation took place as
Miss Bates relates, and I saw the photograph. I specially remarked that
Miss Bates avoided mentioning which rooms she occupied at No. 35, until
Mr. Peck had stated that Mr. had the back bedroom over the living
room, and the large front sitting-room — the rooms that Miss Bates
has now.
I may add that I had never heard of these rooms until a lady recom-
mended them to me when I came with Miss Bates to engage them.
MILDKED WALE.
L. 1084. AdP<> Vision.
The following case, received through the American branch of the
Society, came to Dr. Hodgson as an answer to a circular asking for
information about experiences of the kind investigated by the
Society.
The percipient, Mrs. Baker, writes : —
GENTLEMEN, — This circular having been sent to me with a request that
I should answer, I will say that in March, 1846, I had a remarkable
experience, which was afterwards published in Harper's [New] Monthly
Magazine, June, 1880. The name of the paper is " A Puzzle for Meta-
physicians ; " it can be relied upon for perfect accuracy.
HAHRIETTE WOODS BAKER.
We give extracts, describing the case in full, from the article
referred to. It will be observed that though it was not written for
many years after the event, the testimony of the various witnesses, —
three of whom knew of the vision before news of the corresponding
events had been received — was written ten years earlier.
286 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, 1896.
It may also be remarked that little stress can be laid on the
apparently premonitory nature of part of the vision, since all the
scenes represented after the first were what the percipient might
naturally — from her knowledge of the chief persons concerned —
have expected to follow the first scene, which was the coincidental
one. Even the alleged close resemblance between the letter that first
brought the news and the letter read by Mrs. Baker in her vision, is a
point that cannot be pressed at this distance of time, no written note
having been taken of the visionary letter.
In the month of November, 1845, the ship Sophia Walker sailed from
Boston, bound for Palermo. The owners, Messrs. Theophilus and Nathaniel
Walker, had invited their brother-in-law, the Rev. Charles Walker, to go out
to Palermo, as passenger, for the benefit of his health.
Among the crew was a young man named Frederick Stetson. He was the
eldest son of the Rev. Caleb Stetson, at that time pastor of the Unitarian
church in Medford, Massachusetts. Frederick had been in a store in
Boston, but not being well, returned home to be under the care of n
physician. His health did not improve ; and Dr. Bemis, of Medford,
advised a sea-voyage as most likely to restore his vigour. Frederick was
delighted with this prospect, and his parents reluctantly consented. It
was thought best for his health that he should go on board as a sailor ;
but a contract was made with Captain John Codman, that in case Frederick
should become weary of his duties, he should be admitted to the cabin in the
capacity of captain's clerk.
From the fact that the Rev. Mr. Stetson was a neighbour and friend, I
became acquainted with these circumstances at the time the young man left
home and embarked on board the Sophia Walker. The father also requested
my husband to speak to Captain Codman, his former pupil, in regard to the
youth. In common with other friends, I sympathised deeply with Mr. and
Mrs. Stetson in parting from their son under these painful circumstances ;
but domestic cares and other scenes gradually effaced these impressions,
until I forgot the length of time he expected to be absent, and indeed lost
all recollection of his voyage.
I relate these circumstances in detail that the reader may understand
more fully the remarkable facts which followed.
During the latter part of February, 1846, the death of my mother, Mrs.
Leonard Woods, of Andover, was succeeded by my own dangerous illness. In
March I was seized with hemorrhage of the lungs, and lay for days hovering
between life and death. One night, when the crisis seemed to have passed,
a member of my husband's church, Mrs. Sarah Butters, who had been watch-
ing with me, retired soon after midnight to give place to my husband, who
was to watch with me till morning. I had taken the medicine prescribed by
my physician, and was endeavouring to compose myself to sleep, when all at
once, with the vividness of a flash of lightning, the following scene wau
before me : A tremendous ocean storm ; a frail vessel pitching headlong
JCLY, 1896.] Gases. 287
into the trough of the sea ; a billow mountain -high ready to engulf her ; a
slender youth clinging to the mast-head ; a more furious blast, a higher
wave, and the youth, whom notwithstanding the darkness I instantly
recognised as Frederick Stetson, fell into the foaming, seething deep. As
he struck the water I shrieked in agony ; and my husband sprang to my
side, expecting to see the crimson drops again oozing from my lips. My
countenance, full of horror, terrified him.
" What is it ? " he asked.
I motioned him to silence, unable to withdraw my thoughts from the
scene. I still heard the roaring of the angry billows, the shouts of the
captain and crew.
"Man overboard!" "Throw a rope!" "Let down the life-boat!"
" It's no use ; the ship has pitched beyond his reach ! "
Fresh groans from my lips brought new anxiety to my faithful watcher.
He seized my trembling hand, placed his fingers on my pulse, and started
back with dismay when he felt their feverish bound.
" What is it ? Are you in more pain 1 Shall I go for the doctor ? "
"Oh, it's dreadful ! " I gasped. "I can't tell. It's awful."
Then I passed into a still more remarkable state. Heretofore I had seen
what was going on at the moment ; now my mind went forward, and saw
events that occurred two, three days, two weeks, later. The storm had
abated. The vessel, though injured, was able to proceed on her way. It
was the Sabbath ; the crew were sitting in silent reverence, while the
clergyman, Hev. Mr. Walker, read, prayed, and preached a funeral sermon,
caused by the late sad event. Every eye was moistened, every breath
hushed, as the speaker recounted the circumstances connected with
Frederick's voyage, and endeavoured to impress upon the minds of his
hearers the solemn truth of the uncertainty of life. Another scene. Our
own chamber ; a messenger coming in haste with a letter from Captain
Codman announcing Frederick's death. The words of the letter I could
read. One more scene. I seemed to be again on board the Sophia Walker.
Mr. Stetson was there, standing by Frederick's open chest, into which the
captain had thoughtfully placed every article belonging to his late clerk. The
father's tears fell copiously while Captain Codman dilated on Frederick's
exemplary conduct during the entire voyage. When they reached Palermo,
he had expressed his wish to enter upon the duties of a clerk, according to
their contract, if tired of a sailor's life, and since that hour had taken his
place with the officers in the cabin.
All this passed before my mind with the rapidity of lightning. I lay
trembling with agitation, until startled to present realities by my husband's
voice, while he held a spoon to my lips.
The first question I asked was, " What day of the month is it ? "
"The 10th of March."
" What time did you come into the room 1 "
"It was past twelve when I gave you your medicine. Soon after, you
seemed greatly distressed. Can you tell me now what it was ? "
288 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, 1896.
'* It is dreadful," I whispered, gasping between every word. " Frederick
Stetson is drowned : I saw him fall into the sea."
"Oh no;" was the cheerful reply. "You had been thinking of him
and dreamed it."
" No ; I was wide-awake. I saw him fall. I have not once thought of
him for weeks. Oh, what will his parents say ? "
Soon after this, exhausted by my terrible excitement, I fell into a
troubled sleep. When I awoke, it was dawn, and I immediately commenced
narrating to my husband the scenes I had witnessed, he making a note of
them, and their precise date. Perceiving that this conversation greatly
agitated me, he left the chamber to inquire whether the Sophia Walker had
come into port, and promised to direct our son, a schoolmate of Edward
Stetson, to ask whether Frederick had returned from his voyage. This he
did, thinking to allay my nervous excitement, which he fully believed to be
the result of a fevered dream.
At an early hour Dr. Daniel Swan, one of my physicians, came to my
bedside. He expressed his disappointment at finding my pulse greatly
accelerated, and asked the cause. I then, though not without great
exhaustion, repeated to him what I had seen, my husband being present,
Mrs. Butters (the lady already referred to), and a woman who had lived in
my family for years. In the course of a week several persons were made
acquainted with these facts, though from the fear lest they should reach the
ears of the parents, they were told under an injunction of secrecy.
In the meantime I listened eagerly to my son's daily bulletins from his
schoolmate. " Fred is coming soon." " Mother has his clothes all ready."
"Father says he may be here any day now." "The Sophia Walker is due
this week."
It was two weeks before the ship arrived in port ; but I was so far
convalescent that I was permitted to sit up, wrapped in blankets, for an
hour or two each day. On one of these occasions, while Mr. Baker and
family were at dinner, the bell rang, and presently I heard my husband, in
answer to the summons of the servant, hurry to the door. It was scarcely
a minute before he entered my chamber, pale, and evidently trying to
conceal his emotion. He had an open letter in his hand, upon which his
eyes were fastened,
"You have Captain Codman's letter," I said.
" Yes," he answered, "and in almost the words you repeated to me."
I held out my hand for the sheet, and my tears fell fast as I read the
following lines, evidently written in great haste : —
"March 25th, 1846.
"Rsv. MR. BAKER, — MY DEAR SIR, — I must beg you to perform a painful
duty. Poor Frederick was lost overboard in a gale on the 10th. You must
tell his father. I cannot. I never had anything occur that has given me so
much pain. He was everything that I could desire ; and I can truly say
that I never had occasion to reprove him, and that his uniform good conduct
won the esteem and love of us all. There was this satisfaction — that no one
of us was so well prepared for death. I will detail the circumstances at
JULY, 1896.] Gases. 289
more leisure ; but enough to say now, he was lost from the foretopsail yard
in a gale of wind, and human exertion could not save him. You can best
administer consolation to his distressed parents. Show them the sermon
preached on the Sabbath following his death, which accompanies this, and
assure them of my heart-felt sympathy. — Yours truly,
"J. CODMAN."
While my eyes glanced over the lines, familiar as if penned by myself,
Mr. Baker was making hurried preparations to go to Mr. Stetson's.
" Young Hall brought it out," he explained. " Captain Codman wished
me to have the letter at once, lest the parents should hear the sorrowful
tidings in an abrupt manner. "
The sad scenes which followed are too sacred to be even touched upon
here. Mr. Baker did not return home for hours, having offered to go to
Cambridge, and convey the sad intelligence to Merriam Stetson, the second
son, who was a member of Harvard College.
" I am to go into Boston to see Captain Codman in the morning," he
said. "Mr. Stetson is anxious to see him, and I shall ask him to return
with me."
I recalled the last scene on board the Sophia Walker and said : "I thought
he himself went in. It is the first thing not exactly in accordance with my
vision." I called it vision, for I was not asleep, and therefore it could not
be a dream.
The next morning, when Mr. Baker called at Mr. Stetson's house to take
any additional messages, he learned that, impatient and restless, the
sorrowing father had found it impossible to wait, and had taken the earliest
conveyance into Boston, where a scene occurred like what I had witnessed.
I find it impossible at this distance of time to recollect all the persons to
whom these operations of my mind were made known before the letter of
Captain Codman gave reality to my vision. Among them were Dr. Swan
and two female friends , who have since passed beyond the scenes of earth.
During his life my kind physician frequently urged me to publish an account
of these remarkable facts. My reasons for not doing so are suggested in a
letter to Rev. Mr. Stetson, which, together with the reply and the testimony
of other eye and ear witnesses, I subjoin for the satisfaction of those who may
desire additional proof of the strict accuracy of this narrative : —
"Dorchester, February 16£/i, 1870.
"REV. CALEB STETSON, — DEAR SIR, — If any apology is necessary for my
addressing you this note, I trust it may be found in the friendly relations
which have long subsisted between your family and ours, and in our personal
relations to the subject of this letter.
"You will no doubt recollect the singular mental phenomena which occurred
during my severe illness some weeks before your son Frederick's death, and
which at the time caused considerable discussion in literary and scientific
circles. By some conversant with the facts I have been urged to write an
account of them for philosophical inquiry, they being considered in many
respects a more remarkable instance of prescience or foresight than any on
290 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [JULY, 1896.
record ; but the fear of being classed with visionaries and spiritualists has
heretofore prevented me.
' ' Now, however, on a fresh application to state the particulars in detail, I
have consented to do so, and would consider it a great personal favour if
you will carefully examine the accompanying statement, and so far as
memory will enable you, add in a note to me, which I may be at liberty to
publish, your corroborative testimony respecting it.
" Mr. Baker unites with me in very kind regards to yourself and family. —
With great esteem and respect.
''HARRIETTE W. BAKER."
Rev. Mr. Stetson, having been sick for several weeks, requested his wife
to answer for him. She writes : —
"Lexington, February 19th, 1870.
"DEAR MRS. BAKER, — We have read your manuscript with the deepest
interest. You have expressed clearly and correctly the whole subject, as it
has lain hidden in our memories ; and so vividly, too, have you portrayed
it, that the sad event of bygone years comes to us with the freshness of
yesterday.
" Mr. Stetson also wishes me to add that it might be well for you to
procure the testimony of those who were informed of your wondrous vision
before the event transpired, as so many years have passed since that fatal
storm of March 10th, 1846.
"With our best wishes for yourself and husband, most affectionately
yours,
" JULIA M. STETSON."
Acting upon the suggestion contained in the above note, I have received
the following communications from those who have seen or heard this
article in manuscript. The first is from the daughter of Rev. David
Osgood, D.D., a predecessor of Rev. Mr. Stetson, and for a long course of
years pastor of the First Church in Medford.
" Medford, March 5th, 1870.
"DEAR MRS. BAKER, — In answer to your inquiries, I could state that I
have a distinct recollection of hearing from you in your sick-chamber an
account of your vision in regard to the death of Frederick Stetson,
immediately after the sad events which you have so vividly portrayed.
The circumstances made a deep impression on my mind, and I have always
considered your mental state as remarkably analogous to all I have ever
heard of Scotch second-sight. — Most truly yours,
"L. OSGOOD."
From Mrs. Sarah B. Butters, to whom I have already referred, I have
also the following testimony : —
" Medford, March 2nd, 1870.
"This certifies that I was acquainted with the remarkable vision narrated
by Mrs. Baker before the knowledge of the death of Frederick Stetson
JctY, 1896.] Correspondence. 291
reached me by the arrival of the ship Sophia Walker in Boston, on the 25th
day of March, 1846, and its exact correspondence with the circumstances of
that sad event so impressed me at the time as to leave in my mind a
distinct recollection both of the vision and of its fulfilment.
" SARAH B. BUTTERS."
I will introduce but one other witness, who was with me on that fearful
night and was an actor in some of these scenes. He writes : —
"Dorchester, Massachusetts. March 8th, 1870.
"lam happy to bear my testimony to the truthfulness and fidelity of
the record of facts contained in this narrative, and to assure the reader of
its entire trustworthiness. I thought them at the time, and have ever since
considered them, among the most remarkable mental phenomena of which I
have any knowledge, and worthy of a place in the history of metaphysical
science.
"A. R. BAKKR."
CORRESPONDENCE.
[The Editor is not responsible for opinions expressed by Correspondents.]
Bus API A PALADINO ONCE MORE.
To the Editor of the JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
SIR, — For the sake of clearness and consistency, and to remove a
misapprehension from some Continental friends, perhaps you will allow me
to make what may seem an unnecessary note to the effect, (1) that the term
" Cambridge investigators " in a document does not include me, since I have
not the honour of belonging to Cambridge, and (2) that on the occasion of
Eusapia's visit there, I was an investigating guest at only two sittings.*
-Yours faithfully, QLIVER
The following was received in a letter, dated June 28th, 1896,
from Dr. C. T. Green, an Associate of the Society.
Do WE DREAM BACKWARDS 1
While reading Mr. W. R. Newbold's "Sub-conscious Reasoning,"
Proceedings S.P.R., Part XXX., p. 19, I was reminded of a dream I had
last winter which may have been "dramatised . . . from its apparent
conclusion to its apparent initiation." I thought I was invited by some
friends to an Elizabethan mansion in the north of England, as they knew
that I was desirous of seeing a ghost. I was told that I should be sure to
* Professor Lodge's view will be found in a letter read at the General Meeting of
the Society on October llth, 1895,— see Journal for October, 1895, pp. 133-135.— ED.
292 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Jt^Y, 189G.
see some, as they were as " common as blackberries " nearly every day in
that house, and that even the children and servants had got used to them.
So I went there in my dream, thinking that I should at last have something
veridical for the S.P.R. So I wandered through the quaint galleries of the
rambling old house, and slept in it for four nights without hearing or seeing
anything in the least supernormal.
But during the fifth night — -I was to return home next day— a ghost put
its long white cold arm slowly up from under the bed and touched me on the
right cheek. I instantly sprang up and seized the arm, feeling sure that I
had caught a ghost this time. Alas, I awoke, and found myself sitting half
up, grasping the cold iron arm of the bedstead, which had evidently touched
my cheek as I rolled over in bed.
I have since then been half awaked several times by touching this same
iron bar with hand or face, but have not had any dream connected with it.
Assuming that dreams may be " dramatised backwards " as well as
forwards in point of time, it follows that the mental process involved was
extremely rapid, for I must have awaked to ordinary consciousness within a
very few seconds of grasping that cold iron bar in midwinter.
(DR.) C. THEODORE GREEN.
Birkenhead.
The following request is from one of the Associates of the
American Branch.
Instances are frequent in which the writing mechanism becomes subject
to a disordered mind, in which there results a writing mania, generally
manifested by short scraps of sentences — words, or broken letters, jumbled
into an incoherent letter— a letter frequently addressed to friends, sometimes
to strangers. The undersigned in passing through an exhaustive study of
the action of the writing mechanism, when under control of a normal mind
(as in cases of trance-writing, or writing under suggestion, auto-suggestion,
hypnosis or auto-hypnosis,), has now reached a stage of his studies in which
he desires to investigate the action of the writing mechanism when under
control of an abnormal or disturbed mentality, as in melancholia, nostalgia,
mania, or delirium. Any suggestion, specimens, letters, or theories, which
could be furnished him by members of the S.P.R., he would greatly
appreciate and thankfully receive, and return or dispose of as directed.
Kindly address,
REV. APOLPH ROEDEH,
"The Missions," Vineland, N.J., U.S.A.
No. CXXXIL— VOL. VII. OCTOBER, 1896.
JOURNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGE
New Members and Associates 293
Meeting of the Council 294
Professor Delbceuf 294
The Third International Congress of Psychology 295
A Diary of Telepathic Impressions 299
Correspondence :— Mr. Podmore's " Poltergeists." 306
NEW MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES.
Names of Members are printed in Black Type.
Names of Associates are printed in SMALL CAPITALS.
CLARKE, J. F. HOWARD, M.D.,M.R.C.S.,(Eng.) 105, Wardour-street, W.
CLARKE, REV. W. J., 186, Bristol-road, Birmingham.
BALL, Miss E. L., 42, Chesterton- road, Cambridge.
FISHER, MRS. A. B., 24, Duke's-avenue, Chiswick, near London.
HANDLEY, Miss C., M.A., 1, Clarendon-road, Garston, Liverpool.
McCLURE, HENRY, M.D., Cromer, Norfolk.
Norman, Mrs. Herbert G. H., 5, Southwell-gdns, S. Kensington, S.W.
PLAYFORD, Louis L., Johannesburg, South Africa.
RODEWALD, ALFRED E., The Albany, Liverpool.
STOPP, PAUL, c/o Dresdner Bank, Dresden, Germany.
SZENTIRMAY DE DARVASTO, BELA MARIA JOSEPH DE, AustrO-Hun-
garian Consulate, Bucharest.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
BROWN, Miss A. R., 115, South 21st-street, Philadelphia, Pa.
Dawson, Miles M., 136, Liberty-street, New York, N.Y.
DICKERMAN, REV. W. F., 276, Orange -street, Newhaven, Conn.
Kinney, Thomas W., 220, East Third-street, Portsmouth, Ohio.
POST, C. W., Battle Creek, Michigan.
SWEETSER, L. H., Yale, Idaho.
WRIGHT, Miss HENRIETTA C., Old Bridge, New Jersey.
294- Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., 1896.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Council was held on October 2nd, at the Rooms
of the Society, 19, Buckingham-street, W.C. Professor Sidgwick took
the chair at the commencement of the meeting, and it was subsequently
occupied by the President. There were also present Dr. J. Milne
Bramwell, Dr. W. Leaf, Dr. G. P. Rogers, Dr. A. Wallace, and
Messrs. P. W. H. Myers, P. Podmore, S. C. Scott, H. Arthur Smith,
and R. Pearsall Smith.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and signed as correct.
One new Member and ten new Associates were elected, whose
names and addresses are given above.
The election of two new Members and five new Associates of the
American Branch was recorded.
A vote of thanks was passed to the donors for some presents to
the Library.
The report of the House and Finance Committee received further
discussion. It was finally resolved to refer the report back to the
Committee, with a view to the consideration of certain questions of
importance, which had arisen since the report was drawn up.
Several other matters having been disposed of, it was agreed that
the next meeting of the. Council should be on Friday, October 30th,
at 4.30 p.m., at the Rooms of the Society.
PROFESSOR DELBOEUF.
Professor Delbceuf, of Liege, has passed away since the last issue
of this Journal. He was not a member of the S.P.R., but he
contributed to our Proceedings, and was the friend of many of us.
A few words may fitly be here said in honour of one of the most
ardent and comprehensive spirits whom the science of our day has
known. A much-respected Professor of Greek and Latin, his main
reputation was won by his writings on questions of philosophy and
psychology ; he gave his acute and penetrating intellect to the study
of hypnotism, at the time when students of hypnotism were still
comparatively few ; and he was equally at home in speculating about
the Universe and in carving cherry-stones. Yet to those who
knew him the intellectual element in him was overshadowed by the
emotional ; — such was the headlong transparency, the vehement
lovableness of his abounding soul. If in the other world also "adven-
tures are to the adventurous," our friend may yet go far.
F. W. H. M.
OCT., 1896.] International Congress of Psychology. 295
THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF
PSYCHOLOGY.
The Third International Congress of Psychology took place at
Munich, from the 4th to the 7th of August, and will long be remem-
bered by those who took part in it as a most agreeable and brilliantly
successful meeting. In numbers it surpassed the most sanguine
expectations, exceeding considerably its predecessors in Paris and
London. As many as 450 members inscribed themselves, — besides
the recipients of complimentary tickets — and the number of papers
sent in was so large, that even the careful distribution of the
whole subject among five sections of the Congress, carrying on
their discussions simultaneously, did not quite allow sufficient time to
exhaust the programme. This success is partly to be attributed to the
wise comprehensiveness with which the Committee had sought to bring
together all schools and sections of psychology, along with members of
practical professions — law and medicine — interested in the psycho-
logical aspect of their professional work : but a large share of the
credit remains due to the personal efforts of the officers of the
Congress, and other members of the Reception Committee. The
removal of Professor Stumpf, in 1894, from Munich to Berlin — which
at first seemed to threaten the Congress with the loss of its President
— turned out in fact a gain ; as it secured us the services not only of
Professor Stumpf — who opened the proceedings with an admirable
address and presided throughout with dignity and impressiveness — but
also of his worthy successor in the Munich chair, Professor Lipps, who
accepted the position of second President. But, as every one is
aware who has taken part in organising a Congress, the lion's share
of the labour always falls to the secretariat ; and the ability, energy,
and bonhomie of Dr. Baron von Schrenck-Notzing — whose name is not
unknown to readers of this Journal — received ample and well-deserved
recognition.
The fact that the Congress was held in Germany, along with the
important place that German work occupies in modern psychology,
as in other departments of modern science, rendered it natural that
the Teutonic language should largely predominate in the papers and
discussions. But the international character of the Congress was still
well maintained. For various special reasons the number attending
from England was smaller than we could have wished, but with the
aid of Americans we managed to muster a fair contingent of English^
speaking students of psychology; other contingents joined from France
and Italy, Russia, Scandinavia, the Netherlands, and Switzerland ;
•
296 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., 1896.
and every effort was made by their German hosts to make the
foreigners feel at home. The reputation of Bavaria — and of Munich
in particular — for interest in intellectual culture, and for generous and
cordial hospitality, was worthily sustained ; and if I do not dwell on
•the supper given by the municipality in the historic hall of the old
Rath-haus, or other entertainments in which I was privileged to take
part, it is because I am afraid of suggesting to readers who were not
there that the psychologists really went to Munich to eat, drink,
and be merry, and contemplate works of art. The only discordant
element was the weather, which interfered with more than one
projected entertainment ; but even the almost unceasing rain had one
advantage for us, as it kept the well-thronged rooms agreeably cool.
The meetings of the Congress were held in the spacious and
convenient buildings placed at its disposal by the University of
Munich. They were divided into "general" meetings — for which papers
or addresses of general interest were selected — and "sectional" meetings.
Papers of a more special kind were distributed among five sections,
sitting as a rule simultaneously. Section I. dealt with the physiology
of the brain and the senses, and with psychophysics ; Section II. dealt
with the psychology, in the strictest sense, of the normal individual ;
Section III. discussed pathological and criminal psychology ; and
Section V. comparative and psedagogical psychology. The subjects
with which the S.P.R. is concerned were assigned to Section IV.,
which dealt with " the psychology of sleep, of dreams, and of hypnotic
and allied phenomena." The meetings for papers and discussions took
place morning and afternoon ; and as I have already intimated, every-
thing was done that could be done to promote social intercourse among
members of the Congress during the intervals, and so aid in bringing
about that fuller mutual understanding among students of distant
countries and diverse schools, which is the most important gain to be
expected from international congresses generally.
I now turn to speak more particularly of that part of the work of
the Congress which falls within the range of our own investigations.
Among the subjects allotted to Section IV., hypnotism and suggestion
had the lion's share ; as about two-thirds of the papers read dealt
altogether, or to a great extent, with the causes and effects either of the
hypnotic state or of non-hypnotic suggestion and self-suggestion. In
several of these papers the subject was treated from a therapeutic rather
than a psychological point of view; thus the account given by Dr. Voisin
(from the Salpetriere) of the treatment of certain forms of mental aliena-
tion by hypnotic suggestion, or by Dr. Wetterstrand, from Stockholm,
of the use of artificially prolonged sleep in, especially, hysterical cases,
OCT., 1896.] International Congress of Psychology. 297
or by Dr. Lloyd Tuckey, from London, of the value of hypnotism in.
chronic alcoholism — these and other contributions of similar import
from England, Germany, and Switzerland must be left to the judgment
of physicians. Still, the new light which hypnotism has thrown on the
relation of mind to body has such great importance for psychologists,
that it cannot but be of indirect interest for them to obtain as definite
an idea as possible of the nature and limits of its therapeutic efficacy ;
and the same may be said of the effects of suggestion in the waking
state, and the morbid effects of self-suggestion. And so long as it is
possible — as we have just seen it to be — that a medical president of
the British Association should sum up the experience of fifty years of
anaesthetics without even mentioning hypnotism, it is important from
all points of view that every opportunity should be taken of drawing
the attention of educated persons generally to the surgical value of
hypnotic anaesthesia ; even though we may regard as too sanguine the
prediction of Dr. Falk Schupp (from Bad Soden) — who read an
interesting paper on " The Problems of Suggestive Anaesthesia" — that
this mode of producing painlessness will in course of time supersede
material anaesthetics.
The last mentioned paper was in part of directly psychological as
well as practical interest. The same may be said of a comparison
by Dr. Ewald Hecker (from Wiesbaden), of the different modes of
psychical healing found to be efficacious in the normal condition,
(distraction of attention, fanatical confidence, shock of surprise,
alarm, persuasion), with various forms of hypnotic suggestion, avail-
able in different phases of the hypnotic condition. In other papers
again the phenomena of hypnotism were discussed from a primarily
psychological point of view. Thus Dr. Pierre Janet (of Paris)
examined the conditions of the influence exercised by the hypnotiser
on his patients even in the periods intervening between actual states
of hypnotic sleep ; Dr. Bramwell gave an account of experiments
" on the appreciation of time by somnarnbules," — as shown in the
performance of post-hypnotic suggestions — and discussed the " so-called
automatism of the hypnotised subject " ; and Dr. Crocq, of Brussels,
presented a careful study of the sensibility, memory, and intellectual
functions of hypnotised persons, distinguishing the effects due to
suggestion from those attributable to the hypnosis itself. Both the
last-mentioned speakers criticised the tendency of the Nancy school to
reduce hypnotism entirely to suggestion, and exaggerate the force of
the latter; and the audience could not but regret that no representative
of this historic city was present to reply to the criticism. Finally, I
must not omit to mention an important paper by Dr. D. Vogt — a
298 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., 1896.
contribution to the Psycho-Physiology of " Dissociations-Zustande,"
with special reference to hypnotic phenomena — which it will be easier
to appreciate in a printed form.
On the whole it seemed clear that the study of psycho-therapeutics
— springing out of and mainly based on experiences of hypnotism — is
thoroughly alive in Western Europe ; that an increasing number of
competent persons are interesting themselves in it, theoretically as well
as practically ; and that much intelligent and careful observation and
experiment is being carried on which cannot but have valuable results.
When, however, I turn from hypnotism to telepathy and the other
subjects with which our society is concerned, I have to give a
less encouraging report. In Germany, at least, the interest in these
subjects — which a few years ago was in a promising state of develop-
ment— appears to have recently somewhat faded. It was, indeed,
partly due to accidental causes that the subject occupied so small a
space in the programme of the Congress : since Mr. Myers, who had
intended to read a paper " On Certain Phenomena of Trance," was
unable to attend the Congress, and Dr. Lie'beault, of Nancy, was also
absent, and unable to read his paper on Communication of Thought by
Mental Suggestion. The papers actually read, bearing on the subject
of telepathy, were "On a Statistical Enquiry into Hallucinations," by
Mrs. H. Sidgwick; on the question "whether it is possible by means of
an international statistic of hallucinations to obtain a proof for the
existence of telepathic influence," by Dr. T. Bager-Sjogren, of Sweden ;
and on experiments in involuntary whispering and their bearing on
alleged cases of thought-transference, by myself. This last was a reply
to a pamphlet by Dr. Lehmann, of Copenhagen ; and will appear, in
an enlarged form, in the next number of our Proceedings. It might
perhaps have led to an interesting discussion had Dr. Lehmann been
present, but though he had been expected at the Congress he was
unfortunately unable to come ; and in his absence I thought it best to
cut the paper very short. Dr. Eager Sjogren's paper was, as may be
seen from the title, almost entirely of a critical nature, and the points
he raised were very similar to those already familiar to readers of
Herr Parish's work on hallucinations. Mrs. Sidgwick's paper was
practically a reply to parts of Dr. Bager-Sjogren's, though written
independently; but she was fortunately able to include a report by
Professor William James, on the results of the American Census of
Hallucinations, which he sent over for the purpose. The results of
the American census had not previously been fully worked out ; and
it is satisfactory to find that they corroborate ours, and confirm the
conclusion that the number of alleged death coincidences cannot be
OCT., 1896.] A Diary of Telepathic Impressions. 299
accounted for by chance. Professor James has promised a fuller report
for a future number of the Proceedings. There was some discussion
on Mrs. Sidgwick's and Dr. Bager-Sjogren's papers in which Professor
Richet and Herr Parish took part. The only other paper dealing
with any of our subjects was one by M. Flournoy, of Geneva ; which
presented evidence of the constructive force and richness, the creative
originality of the "subliminal imagination" exhibited in the utterances
of many mediums. These characteristics, the writer argued, require us
— from a strictly psychological point of view — to place their phenomena
in a class apart from those of ordinary hysteria. The paper did not
contain much that was substantially new for those who had read Mr.
Myers' articles in our Proceedings; but M. Flournoy's conclusions
were evidently the result of independent study of facts.
It is much to be hoped that at the next Congress there will be
more new facts and observations in Psychical Research to bring
forward.
It was decided by the Committee of Organisation at the close of
the Meeting, that the next Congress should take place at Paris in
1900, when it is hoped that Professor Ribot will be First President.
Professor Richet accepted the post of Second President — held by
Professor Lipps on this occasion — and M. Pierre Janet that of General
Secretary. H- SlDGWICK.
A DIARY OF TELEPATHIC IMPRESSIONS.
The following diary, recording a series of impressions many of
which are apparently telepathic, was sent to us by Dr. Thomas Duke,
of 33, Bilton-road, Rugby. The writer is a patient of his own, and
he has tried some experiments in thought-transference with her, of
which we hope to receive an account later. He assures us that every
word she has written is to be depended on.
It will be seen that most of the incidents are of an extremely
trivial character ; but this does not, of course, lessen their value
evidentially. It would, however, be easy to explain almost any one of
the coincidences, taken alone, as the result of lucky guessing, founded
on the writer's general knowledge of the circumstances in each case ;
or association of ideas, leading her to think the same thing at the same
time as one or other of her companions ; or mere chance. The weight
of the record lies in the accumulation of a large number of coin-
cidences,— more, we think, than can reasonably be attributed to
chance. For this reason chiefly, and also because different persons
300 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., 1896.
would probably estimate differently the value of each case, we have
thought it best to reproduce the whole diary, with the exception of a
few entries which do not refer to Mrs. S.'s telepathic impressions. It
must be observed that many impressions were recorded before it was
known whether they were correct or not, so that the diary is not a
mere selection of lucky hits.
In answer to enquiries, Mrs. S. writes to us (March 3rd, 1896) :
" At the time they were written, I had not the slightest idea they
would be of interest to any one excepting myself. I simply wrote
down in a rough way anything that occurred which struck me as being
unusual. ... I am sorry I have none of the notes sent by Mrs.
Ph. I did not keep them after entering them in my book at the time.
I enclose three which I have kept from Mr. Duke ; these are all I can
find." These three notes will be found printed below. In answer to
a further question as to the exact times at which the various entries
were made, Mrs. S. writes : —
July 4£/i, 1896.
All my entries in the diary were made at the exact time mentioned, my
object being to see how far I was right ; and as the notes were made for my
own pleasure, I should not be likely to enter them without first noticing the
time. This I always did before putting it down ; but when a day only is given,
I have made the entry before retiring at night. If, however, I did leave
anything until the next day, I should say "yesterday, so and so."
Diary of Mrs. S.
Dec. 22nd, 1893.* — Monday night I had a strange dream (about my sister
L. who is in Bio, where the revolution is now going on and the country in a
fearful state of tumult when last I heard, Nov. 14th). I dreamt my sister
was in church standing before the altar sobbing, and she was dressed all in
crape mourning, and I thought in my dream she had lost some one near and
dear to her. The church was as large as our parish church.
[Note added afterwards.] See note at the beginning of 1895. t
Jan. 3rd, 1894. — I was in the front sitting-room and dare not go out of
the room for the cold ; my plants were awfully dry, and hearing E. [her
niece] in the kitchen, I telepathed to her to bring me in some water. She at
once came with a jug full and asked if I would water the plants.
* This day was a Friday. — ED.
t The note referred to is as follows : —
" January 12th, 1895. — I have just received the painful news that my dear sister
and her baby boy were stricken down with yellow fever in Rio de Janeiro some time
last year and died, but as yet we can get no definite information." [See entries,
Dec. 22nd, 1893; Aug. 29th, Sept. 28th, and Oct. 19th, 1894.]
Mrs. S. writes to us on March 30th, 1896 :— "On Jan. 12th, 1895, we received a
letter from the British Consul in Rio, saying my sister passed away in the Strangers'
Hospital, Rio de Janeiro, on March 5th, 1894, after suffering for three weeks from
yellow fever."
OCT., 1896.] A Diary of Telepathic Impressions. 301
[Jan.] 6th. — Friday being an awfully busy day after our party, I could
not spare E. to take the order to the butcher's, so on Saturday morning I
telepathed to Mrs. G. to send for it and in a short time the boy came.
[Jan.] ]4th. — My husband was sitting reading his newspaper and I lay
on the couch thinking of the young men's concert which we are thinking
of getting up and wishing he would give over reading, when he looked up
from his paper and asked me a question about it. We had neither of us
mentioned the subject before that day.
Jan. 21st. — I willed very hard indeed that Mr. Duke should come here
before 12 o'clock, just to prove if I could bring him. He came just before
the time. My husband was at home and I told him afterwards.
Jan. 24th. — This morning I was thinking of Mrs. T. B., and said how I
should like her to come in ; I wanted to speak to her. This was at 11.30 a.m.,
and in the afternoon she came, and I told her I was thinking of her in the
morning, and she said she made up her mind to come while she was cleaning
her kitchen up in the morning after 11 a.m.
Jan. 26th. — I am again feeling Mr. Duke will call. He did, before E.
had finished dusting the room. I knew he would. To-night a rap came at
the front door. I felt it was a poor woman named M., and I told Mr. S. it
was, and I would not see her, and it was her. I had no reason for thinking
it was her, only I felt it.
Jan 27th.— I expect to hear my Aunt S. is much worse or has passed
away. I am thinking so much about her all day.
Jan. 28th. — The feeling about Aunt is not so strong to-day.
Jan. 29th. — I shall hear from Mrs. Ph. to-day. I did. We had a letter
saying Aunt passed away at quarter to six o'clock on Sunday, 27th.
[Jan.] 31st. — I felt Mr. Duke would come this morning, but he did not.
Feb. 1st.— Mr. Duke came. I knew he was coining quite well, and
hurried E. to get my room done. He said he wanted to come yesterday, but
was too busy, he could not bring it in.
Feb. 4th. — I was again talking about the B.'s in C. street, and they came
in to see me.
Feb. 5th. — Mrs. Ph. is not so well again. I shall hear from her to-
morrow.
Feb. 6th. — I have this morning received my note from Mrs. Ph. I feel
Mr. Duke will come in this morning. Twelve o'clock, he has just gone.
Feb. llth. — Mr. Sn. called and asked how I was, just as I was thinking
about him. Mr. Duke came to-day, but I did not feel strongly he was
coming.
Feb. 13th. — I wrote to some cousins of my mother's. It just struck me
I would, and that evening they were talking about me ; where I was and why
I did not write to them. They answered mine by return of post telling me
this.
Feb. 15th. — Pencil wrote, Mr. Duke will come Monday early ; also Mrs.
Ph. would write.
Feb. 16th — I have a note from Mrs. Ph. in which she says she wrote me
yesterday, but being school examination day had no one to bring it.
302 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., 1896.
Feb. 17th. —Pencil says I shall go to P.S.A. at church to-morrow.
Feb. 18th. — It seemed far too cold for me to go out, but after dinner
Mr. S. said he thought I might venture to church, and I did, and took no
harm.
Feb. 19th. — I had note from Mrs. Ph., but Mr. Duke did not come as
pencil said. Mrs. Ph. said in her note she guessed he came. (Why ?)
Feb. 21st. — 8.30a.m. I telepathed for Dr. Duke to come, and I would
ask him for medicine for my poor husband. He came and said at about
8.30 he felt he must come. I asked about Monday. He said he much
wanted to come, but could not bring it in. The medicine did not come all
[the] afternoon, so at half-past six I telepathed for it to come by 7
o'clock, and at a quarter to seven I hurried it, and it got here just at 7
o'clock to the minute.
Feb. 22nd. — I told my husband Mr. Duke would call to see him, but
could not keep him at home. He did come.
Feb. 24th. — I telepathed for more medicine by 7 p.m. It came, also
a note saying Mr. Duke distinctly felt my message and also heard me
laughingly tell my husband I would get it for him, and he told me I could
not. This is exactly what took place. Mr. Duke even told me afterwards
where I sat in the room, and what dress I was wearing, which was quite
right.
Feb. 28th. — Mr. Duke telepathed to me he was coming. I felt it and
knew he would be here before my room was done, and he was. Strange, he
has been on the first day I have been in bed this year.
March 1st. — At 8.30 p.m. my doctor sent a bottle of medicine for my
husband, thinking he was worse ; but instead of that I was feeling very ill
indeed, but would not admit it to him, and so sent word he was wrong, when
really he must have felt my fears about my side becoming bad again.
I telepathed for my friend Mrs. J. to come and sit with me this afternoon
and she came, — said she felt she must.
March 2nd. — I know Mrs. Ph. is writing to me this morning and so I
have written her answer ready. She did, and I sent my note.
March 3rd. — My husband was awfully worried and bothered, and after
tea said how he should like a chat with his secretary Mr. B. So I telepathed
hard for him to come between 6 o'clock and half-past, and he came at a
quarter-past and said he felt he must come.
March 4th. — Mrs. T. B. several times in church this morning seemed as
if she must get up and go out, and I willed most strongly she should not,
and each time she half got up I looked hard at her and told her telepathic-
ally to sit down again, and she did.
March 5th. — This afternoon I telepathed to Mr. B. asking why he did
not ask Mr. T. instead of Mr. S. for a solo for the P.S.A. Mr. B. came in
the evening, and said in the afternoon he very suddenly thought of Mr. T.
and went at once to ask him if he would sing, and he promised.
March 7th. — I am confident Mr. Duke will call some time to-day. He
did not come in the morning, and after dinner I found a paper to show to
him when he came. He called at 4 o'clock.
OCT., 1896.] A Diary of Telepathic Impressions. 303
March 9th. — I am very ill indeed.
March 10th. — Early this morning I was feeling so ill I telepathed for my
doctor to come at half past nine o'clock, and he came just at that time. In
the evening I had my hand on my niece's shoulder and was thinking she had
better light up, or my doctor might come, but I did not say so. She, however,
looked at me and said, " I had better light up, or he will not be able to see."
March llth. — My husband had a letter he wished very much to show to
Mr. B. before Monday morning. This is Sunday after tea, and I at once
commenced to telepath to Mr. B. in church, and he seemed to say, " Oh ! I
have no excuse to make for coming," and I said " Yes, you have. You can
come and ask how I am this evening ;" and he came and just said, " How is
Mrs. S. to-night ?" and of course was asked in.
March 13th. — Mr. Duke promised to send E. something, but I told her
she would not have it, and she didn't ; but at night I said, "Never mind, you
shall have it in the morning," and she did. (I felt it would not come.)
March 14th. — This morning I telepathed to E. what she had better
prepare for breakfast and she did it exactly. I forgot to tell her at night. I
knew Mrs. D. would come to see me this morning, and she said just what I
thought she would (I cannot remember what, though, now). I telepathed for
my medicine. My doctor felt it and sent it at once.
March 15th. — Mrs. Br. promised her son H. should bring me some
patterns from a shop in the town at dinner-time, when he came out of
school. He did not bring them, and again at tea-time they did not come,
so I waited until half -past 5. Then I telepathed to her, " You are forgetting
my patterns, and the light will soon be gone, [so] that I shall not be able to
see them." H. came with them at 10 minutes past 6 o'clock, and said his
mother forgot them until half -past 5, when she said : " Make haste, or the
light will be gone, and your auntie will not be able to see them." When
the rap came, I said, "That is H. with my patterns." (I was in bed.)
March 19th. — It is now 3 o'clock, and I am telepathing for my medicine
to come not later than half -past 4 o'clock. I tried automatic writing to see if
Mr. Duke got my message, and it said he did. The medicine has just come.
It's a quarter past 4 o'clock.
March 22nd. — Mr. Duke telepathed to me at half-past 11 this morning
that he should come in to see me in the afternoon, instead of next morning,
because it was Good Friday. He came in as I thought, and said at half-past
11 he made up his mind he would look in in the afternoon, because of its
being Good Friday next day.
March 24th, 7.45 p.m. — I have just telepathed for my medicine to be
here not later than 8.15. Medicine just come, 8.40.
March 27th. — I telepathed very strongly to Mrs. J. to come in to see me
for a minute. I wanted to speak to her most particularly. She came,
saying, "I can only stay a minute."
March 29th. — Mrs. Br. felt me telepath to her to come in and felt I said
I was so lonely. I did say so. She came in.
March 31st. — I have telepathed for my medicine, but feel the doctor is
not at home, and so has not got my message. The medicine did not come.
304 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., 1896.
When he came next day, I told him he was not at home and did not get
my message, and he said , ' ' No, at that time we were in the country miles
away taking tea and did not get home until late."
April 2nd.— I did not want Mrs. B. to come to-day, but something
seemed to say she would, and she did, and while here said something seemed
to draw her and compelled her to come. She had not been for a month
before.
April 4th. — 1 telepathed to Miss D. not to come to see me this afternoon
as arranged and she did not come. I also telepathed at 11 a.m. to Mrs. Br.
saying I wanted to see her this afternoon, and she came, and she said at
11 a.m. that morning she made up her mind to come.
April 8th. — I was thinking of my friend Mrs. D., and telepathed to her
while in church (I felt she was there) to come v and see me, during the
service. She came, and said while she was in church she decided to come
and see me.
April llth. — I am still very ill, but telepathed to Mrs. J. I should like
to see her for a few minutes. This was at 2 o'clock, and at half -past 2
she sent a note asking if she might see me if she came. So, of course, I
sent word " Yes," and she came.
April 12th, 11 a.m. — I am trying automatic writing, and the pencil says
Dr. B. will come on Monday.
April loth (Sunday). — Mrs. Br. got up in the morning at 7.10, and after
dressing looked at her text for the day, and it was ' ' Underneath are the
everlasting arms," and she said, "How I wish C. (me) could have this
beautiful text this morning to comfort her " ; and about that time I did
have it come to me, for I said to my husband "The last sermon I heard
preached was from the text 'Underneath are the everlasting arms,' and it
does seem to comfort me this morning."
April 16th. —Dr. B. came with Mr. Duke this (Monday) afternoon.
April 28th. — We had a quantity of whites of eggs, and I knew Mrs. J.
could use them if she had them, so I said to E. " Do send in all those whites
to Mrs. J., it is a pity to waste them." Five minutes after Mrs. J. sent her
love and would be glad to know if I had any.
Note. — Did I telepath to her or she to me ?
May 2nd, 6 o'clock. — I have telepathed to my doctor for more medicine
by 7 o'clock, when a dose is due. It did not come. Somehow my power
seems gone.
May llth, (Friday) 7 o'clock. —I telepathed to Mr. Duke I was feeling
very ill and much afraid of another attack.
May 13th. — When my doctor called to-day he said, " You telepathed to
me on Friday evening about 7 o'clock. I felt you said you were not feeling
so well. Was this so ? " Of course I said yes.
May 14th. — My husband was dressing and wondered which necktie he
should put on. I telepathed to him to wear a black and white bow he had
not seen for a long time. He found it and put it on. Then I told him I
made him do so.
May 18th. — I telepathed to Mrs. J. to come in and fetch some lilies my
OCT., 1896.] A Diary of Telepathic Impressions. 305
husband had gone to gather. He said he would give her some, and I
thought it would spare him the trouble of taking them. She came just
before he got back.
May 19th. — My doctor promised to send me some new medicine. After
he had left I said to E., "I shall not get that medicine to-day unless I
telepath for it, and I do not feel to have the power." I did send a weakly
message at 8 o'clock, but knew it did not reach him.
May 20th, 11 o'clock, a.m. — The medicine just come.
May 20th. — I do so often find my husband speaks aloud my thoughts.
To-day I was thinking about a certain lady's jacket when he said, " Well,
yes, So and So's jacket looks very nice, but I wonder how long she will have
to wear it." Just exactly what I was wondering when he spoke.
May 22nd. — I felt all yesterday afternoon Mrs. C. would call. She came
to-day and said she was coming yesterday, but just as she was about to start
she received a note asking her to go on the Bilton-road, so she came to-day
instead.
May 23rd. — I telepathed to Mrs. S. to come in to see me this afternoon
because I did not want her to-morrrow. She came and said she was very
poorly indeed, but something seemed to tell her she must come in to see me.
May 24th. — Pencil wrote "Chance very" when I asked if Mr. Duke
would come this afternoon.
May 25th. — He did not come until this morning, but said he started out
intending to call here in the afternoon, but could not get away from a patient.
May 26th. — I had a note from Mrs. Ph. saying she felt Mr. Duke was
here yesterday morning, and was telling me all about a certain thing (which
I cannot repeat) and he was. How did she know 1
May 27th. — While dressing this morning at 10 o'clock, I told E. I felt
sure my husband's mother was passing away. She went at 8.30 a.m., we
heard later.
May 31st. — I telepathed for medicine at 7 o'clock for 8. Mr. Duke sent
it with the message : ' ' Here it is, is this right ? " I sent word back by the
boy: "Quite right, thank you." This was 5 minutes to 8. I looked at
the clock.
June 2nd. — I felt at 11.15 a.m. that my husband was just then standing
by the bedside of his mother (in Birmingham) who is to be buried to-day.
When he came back in the evening I asked him if it was so, and he said it
was just that time when he stood looking at her.
June 3rd. — I went to sleep in the afternoon (most unusual for me) and
I dreamt my mother came to me and told me Mrs. D. , who is ill, would not
get better.
June 4th. — Again I telepathed for medicine to come by 8 o'clock, and it
got here just as it was striking.
I telepathed three times for a friend to go, — I got so awfully tired of
her. Twice she felt it and made a movement to get up, but did not. At last
I fixed her and she got up sharp and was off.
June 6th. — I told Mr. Duke my dream about Mrs. D., and he said she
was not dangerously ill and would get better, he thought.
306 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., 1896.
June 8th, 9.30. — I know Mr. Duke will come in to see me this morning.
12 o'clock. He has just gone.
June 14th.— I was dreaming all night about Mrs. E., a lady who is very
delicate and has not been able to walk out for years. The last time she
came to see me was in her chair last May 17th, 1893, but in my dream I saw
her walking and she came right across the road and told me she would stay
and take tea with me. In the afternoon I had forgotten my dream for the
moment, but it came back, for on looking out of the window I saw Mrs. E.
walking across the road to our home and I said to E., " Get a cup of tea, for
I know she will stay," and she did. She told me something seemed to tell
her that she must come that afternoon.
June 16th. — Although it is not Mr. Duke's day, I feel he will come ;
9 o'clock a.m.
He did not.
June 17th. — The feeling was not altogether wrong, for to-day when he
called, he said he thought of coming in yesterday.
June 18th. — Mrs. D. is so very weak, they doubt if she will pull
through. (See note June 3rd.)
June 20th. — I telepathed to London for Miss K. (Mrs. D.'s niece) to
come. Mrs. J. asked me to do so. Pencil said she got my message ; so I
hope she will soon come.
(To be continued.)
CORRESPONDENCE.
MR. PODMORE'S "POLTERGEISTS."
To the Editor of the JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
SIR, — I am sorry that when preparing his paper on Poltergeists, which
appeared in the last number of the Proceedings of the Society, Mr. Podmore
did not find it possible to state the eleven cases he investigated in full. An
abbreviated account, though quite satisfactory to the person who makes it
from the complete report before him, is of little use to any one else as
material out of which to form an opinion on a subject such as that now
under discussion. I regret also that it was not found possible to include
in this class of stories, others of much the same nature, which have been
examined and reported upon by members of the Society.
As I understand him, Mr. Podmore, after investigating his eleven cases
in detail, concludes that the alleged phenomena have been in every case the
result of trickery ; that the "agent " in eight cases was probably a young girl,
and in the remaining three a boy ; moreover, that in nearly every case the
young people were either physically or mentally abnormal. If the latter part
of this conclusion is correct, all theories which might attempt to account for
the disturbances by supposing the use of more or less elaborate machinery
must, I think, be abandoned.
In order to arrive at his general conclusion, the author is obliged : —
(a) very largely to discount the evidence produced, and to assume that it
OCT., 1896.] Correspondence. 307
is seriously inaccurate by reason of (1) errors of observation, (2) errors of
memory or relation ; (6) to assume that the errors all tend to make the
phenomena more easily explicable by trickery than otherwise ; and (c) to
explain as a sensory illusion a point which he feels is too well vouched for,
both in these and other cases, to be put aside as part of ordinary defective
evidence and too important to be neglected.
(a) It must be admitted, of course, that errors both of observation and
narration do frequently intrude themselves into the evidence of the most con-
scientious witnesses, and will do so as long as man is fallible. These errors
are, however, of less moment in the present inquiry than Mr. Podmore
assumes. It will be found that errors mostly occur about the relative order
in which definitely observed facts follow one another, and not so much about
the facts themselves; about the presence, absence, or position of some one not
evidently and immediately connected with the incident which at the moment
was claiming attention. When the order in which events follow one another
is of the essence of things, as in the case of Mr. Davey's alleged slate-writing
tricks, inaccuracy of this sort is very material ; but when the facts being
investigated are not interdependent, as is mostly the case in the present
instance, the exact order in which they took place is of little moment. It
is also not of much consequence where people evidently not immediately
connected with a phenomenon are placed by a witness, provided he is clear
about those who could in any way control it.
(6) Errors of observation and memory need not, I hold, always tend to
make the explanation of unusual phenomena more easy by known causes.
Forgetfulness and mal-observation may sometimes tend the other way.
For example, the witness may more easily forget that the person most likely
to cause, say, the movement of a chair, by trickery, left the room just before
the movement was observed, than that he approached the chair about the
time it moved. Mal-observation may make a chair simply fall when in fact
it rolled over and over.
(c) Mr. Podmore is disposed to explain the appearance to many
witnesses, both in these stories and in others, of the slow or flying movements
of objects through the air, by assuming that the deponents were subjects of
a sensory illusion. I know of no reason for this. Surely, if excitement had
such a tendency, it would have been observed and reported so frequently
as to become common knowledge. If the five or six witnesses in the
Worksop case, who observed a basin "rise slowly from the bin " till "it
touched the ceiling, and then fell suddenly to the floor," at the usual rate
of such movement,* had expected the thing to be drawn up by a string, when
in fact it was jerked up, — I can imagine that under excitement a sensory
illusion might, had it arisen, have induced them to report as they have done ;
but these people at the time believed that the things were being thrown
about, and expected quick movements. Had a sensory illusion seized
them collectively, it would, I fancy, under these circumstances, have taken
the form of seeing things move quickly, when, in fact, they were being
wafted slowly along.
* Why did the illusion cease when the basin had half completed its flight?
308 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [OCT., 18%.
Mr. Podmore's theory of trickery requires in several of the cases that
the principal agent should have from one to three confederates, and this
circumstance makes the difficulty of assigning a motive— a difficulty
acknowledged by the author to be great — still greater. It may be that a
young girl (or boy) would do much for the sake of notoriety, but she would
hardly find two or three persons ready to hand willing to take much trouble
for the same satisfaction.
It must be remembered also that the value of evidence depends not only on
the intelligence and truthfulness of a witness, but also on the opportunities
the witness has for becoming acquainted with the matter deposed to. Mr.
Westlake in the Ham case, otherwise an excellent witness, had less oppor-
tunity of observing the girl moving the things herself when he was looking
furtively under his arm, than Police-Constable King, who was calmly
standing in the open, had of observing chairs and things moving of them-
selves.
When every allowance has been made for misstatements, from whatever
cause arising, a considerable number of facts are still in evidence which could
not have been caused by trickery, and I believe that if all the cases were before
us in full, this would be found to be more and more the case.
I do not propose to put forward any complete theory of my own as an
explanation of Poltergeist phenomena, nor indeed could I. I am inclined,
however, to think them due to the interference of some occult agency of the
same nature as that alleged to obtain in spiritualistic manifestations. If this
is the case, the fact that the disturbances occur more readily in the vicinity
of some central figure, — in these cases a girl or a boy, — no longer appears a
suspicious circumstance, but becomes explanatory, — a "medium" in fact
being pointed out.
The evidence given by witnesses of trickery, and the confessions of
trickery, which assisted Mr. Podmore to support his conclusion, become
now my difficulties. Confessions are, however, not always conclusive. How
many old women have falsely confessed, in times gone by, to dealings with
the Devil ? We do not know how much pressure in the present cases was
used to obtain them. The sudden interrogation of a policeman or a
stranger, in a certain tone of voice, might be very terrifying to a rustic
child. In one of the cases the confession was subsequently withdrawn.
The fact that trickery was by some witnesses seen in operation is a more
difficult matter to deal with. I can only say that it seems to be a constant
companion of all sorts of occult phenomena. If in Poltergeist cases the
telekinetic energy is directed by some intelligence, as it seems to be, it is
conceivable that this energy may be used to move the "sensitive" to
fraudulent actions when its telekinetic potency fails. There is some
evidence in other cases that this does take place, idiotic though it seems.
To prevent seeming contradiction, I may add, with respect to the
Arundel case, that I, like Mr. Podmore, have changed my opinion about
these matters since 1884, but in an opposite direction.
G. L. LE M. TAYLOR, Lt. Col.
July 2<nd, 1896.
No. CXXXIII.— VOL. VII. NOVEMBER, 189B.
JOURNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS. PAGE
New Associates 309
Meeting of the Council 309
General Meeting 310
A Diary of Telepathic Impressions— concluded 311
Correspondence : —
On " A Case of Information Supernormally Acquired " 319
On "Poltergeists" 323
NEW ASSOCIATES.
FLOURNOY, PROFESSOR TH., The University, Geneva.
HEHNER, MRS. OTTO, Woodside House, Woodside, South Norwood, S.E.
KNIGHT, CHARLES N., M.A., 31, Holland-park, London, W.
NOBLE, JAMES BLACK, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., 167, Kennington Park-road,
London, S.E.
THE AMERICAN BRANCH.
HUTCHIXSON, Miss MARY S., 2,006, De Lancey-place, Philadelphia, Pa.
KENNEDY, Miss LEILA M., 715, Forman-park, Syracuse, N.Y.
MEACHER, WILLIAM, M.D., Portage, Wisconsin.
WILKINS, Miss M. L., cor. Carver and Museutn-sts., Cambridge, Mass.
MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Council was held on October 30th, at the Rooms
of the Society, 19, Buckingham Street, W.C. Professor Sidgwick took
the chair for a few minutes, until the President arrived. There were
also present Professor W. F. Barrett, Sir Augustus K. Stephenson,
Col. J. Hartley, Dr. J. Milne Bramwell, Dr. A. Wallace, and Messrs.
F. W. H. Myers, F. Podmore, S. C. Scott, and H. Arthur Smith.
The minutes of the last meeting were read and signed as correct.
Four new Associates were elected, whose names and addresses are
given above.
The election of four new Associates of the American Branch was
recorded.
The Council 1'ecorded with regret the death of Mrs. Russell Gurney,
who had been a Member of the Society almost from the commencement.
310 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1896.
A vote of thanks to the donors for some presents to the Library
was passed.
A further report of the House and Finance Committee was
received, and after considerable discussion, the recommendations which
it contained were adopted.
Various other matters having been disposed of, it was agreed that
the next meeting of the Council should be on Friday, December 4th,
at 3 p.m., at the Westminster Town Hall, previous to the General
Meeting arranged for that day.
GENERAL MEETING.
The 82nd General Meeting of the Society was held at the West-
minster Town Hall on Friday, October 30th, at 8.30 p.m. ; PROFESSOR
SIDGWICK in the chair.
PROFESSOR W. F. BARRETT read a further paper on the Dowsing
or Divining Rod, dwelling mainly on the historical aspect of the
question : but also treating of its use in the present day for finding
water and lodes of mineral ore. The extensive commercial use of
"dowsing" gave strong testimony to its efficacy. He described the
different methods used by different dowsers, — hazel rods, steel wires, etc.,
held in various ways, — and the different sensations they experienced,
and also the different behaviour of the hazel rods, etc., at different
periods and with different dowsers. From these differences and the
fact that they can often be shown to depend on the theory held by the
operator, he deduced that the effect on the rod was due to sub-
conscious muscular action ; the dowser in some way at present
unknown receiving unconsciously the impression of the position of
the water or metal sought for.
Two professional dowsers, MR. TOMPKINS, of Chippenham, and
MR. CHESTERMAN, of Bath, were present and were kind enough to
give, in answer to questions from the audience, interesting accounts of
their methods and sensations. Mr. Tompkins' rod moves for springs
of water and for metal lodes (he has recently found two gold reefs in
South Africa) ; but does not move for water in drains or pipes. Mr.
Chesterman, on the other hand, who uses a hazel rod or a bent steel
wire indifferently, finds that it moves one way for spring water and
another for water in pipes or drains.
It is hoped that opportunities may be arranged for experiments
with Mr. Tompkins and other dowsers.
Professor Barrett's paper is expected to appear in a future number
of the Proceedings.
Nov., 1896.] A Diary of Telepathic Impressions. 311
A DIARY OF TELEPATHIC IMPRESSIONS.
Diary of Mrs. S.
(Continued from the Journal for October, p. 306.)
June 22nd [1894]. — I am certain Mr. Duke will come in this morning
before 12 o'clock. (He did.)
June 29th. — Mrs. B. told me to-day that, when I was so ill that they
thought I could not get better, she so often felt my presence in her house.
Once she distinctly saw me coming downstairs when she was in the hall,
and often she heard my voice and turned to see if I was there. This was so
for days.
July 2nd. — I felt Mr. Duke would come this morning, but instead, he
sent a note and a bottle of medicine.
July 4th. — I was taken suddenly ill. Have just received a note from
Mrs. Ph. asking if I am not ill, as she feels I am.
July 6th. — I felt distinctly my doctor telepath to me to know how I
liked Dr. S., and I told him "Very much." This was 12 o'clock a.m., just
after Dr. S. had been to see me.
July 15th. — My husband willed I should do something when I was
passing him, but I was in a great hurry and didn't. He at once said, " Oh,
there is nothing in will-power." I said, "Oh, isn't there?" and at once
turned back and did it without his telling me what, and I was right.
July 18th. — Mrs. Ph. told me she saw Mr. Duke had received a message
while he was in her room, and she said she knew it was from me. I did
send one at that time, and he received and answered it, but how did she
know it was from me ? For he did not say a word to her about it.
July 21st. — I told E. I must hurry up with my fruit preserving, for I
felt Mr. Sn. would come and ask me to go for a drive. He came just as
I had finished, and I went.
July 30th. — I am quite certain Mr. Sn. will come this morning, and ask
me to go for a drive. I could not see him, but have a message ready for
him. He did come. I knew he would.
Aug. 1st, 8.15 p.m. — I am telepathing to Mrs. J. to come in, I want
to speak to her. 8.30. — She came, although she did not know why, for I
had already seen her twice during the day.
Aug. 3rd. — I telepathed to my niece to bring me something to my
bedroom at once, and she came up with it without my asking her for it.
Aug. 14th. — I felt a paper called Light had been pushed through the
letter-box, and so, when my husband called upstairs that it had come, I
said, "Yes, I know."
Aug. 20th. — Miss W. was sitting by my bedside, and I was wondering
what she thought of a certain young man, when she looked up and asked
me a question about him. Neither had mentioned his name before.
Aug. 23rd. — I know Mr. Duke will call to-morrow.
Aug. 24th. — I got up feeling certain Mr. Duke would call before 12
o'clock. He did just about 12 o'clock.
312 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1896.
Aug. 26th (Sunday). — I telepathed to Mrs. J. to come in this afternoon,
but she did not.
Aug. 27th. — Mrs. J. said she thought she would come in yesterday, but
afterwards felt sure I should be out and did not come.
I much wanted to go and see Mrs. Ph., but could not. F. Ph. came at
night and said her mother had expected me all day.
Aug. 28th. — I had not written to my sister in London for a long time and
felt I ought to write, and all the time I was feeling she was thinking about
me and our letters would cross.
Aug. 29th. — They did, for this morning I had a letter from her. I
dreamt I was at some sea-side place, but where I do not know, for I have
not seen the place before, and while we (my husband [and I] ) were on the
beach a vessel came along and the people were all watching it, when one of
the fishermen came rushing along and shouting : " She is off her feet." We
looked and saw the people on the deck all rush to one side of the boat. This
caused it to tip, presently it turned over like a cockle-shell, and I saw it in
the water, bottom uppermost. I screamed, for I remembered my sister
(L.) was on the boat and she was drowned.*
Aug. 30th. — I was wishing all day Mrs. P. would come in — I wanted
to propose something to her— and at night she came. I felt she would.
Aug. 31st. — I telepathed for Mr. B. to come this evening. My husband
wanted to see him again very particularly, and when he rapped at the door I
said (without seeing him) "Here is Mr. B. then."
Sep. 2nd. — At 7. 15 p. m. I telepathed to my doctor I was feeling very ill
and should be obliged to send for him.
Sep. 3rd. — To-day, when my doctor was here he said "Did not you send
a message last evening at a quarter past 7 ? I felt you did quite strongly."
Of course I said " Yes."
Sep. 5th. — I telepathed for medicine after 7 o'clock, but my husband
would not wait, sent E. off for it, and she met the boy bringing it. I felt
certain Mr. Duke had my message.
Sep. 5th. — At 3.15 p.m. I telepathed to Mr. Duke not to forget to change
my medicine as promised. He felt my message and left what he was doing
and went at once and made it and sent it off.
Sep. 6th. — To-day Mr. Duke told me he felt my message at a quarter past
3 o'clock yesterday. While I was talking about my sister, he said he was
much afraid she was dead. I wish the Consul would write.
Sep. llth. — I wrote to Mrs. Ph. saying I felt she was writing to me. I
have no one to take the note, so she did not get it.
Sep. 12th. — I have just received a note from Mrs. Ph., saying she wrote
me yesterday morning, and had only just been able to send it.
Sep. 13th. — While E. was dusting my dressing-table this morning, I
telepathed to her to give me my house-keeping book from off the drawers.
She at once got it and brought it to me without either of us speaking a word.
I did not even say " Thank you."
* See Journal for October, p. 300, also entries for Sep. 28th and Oct. 19th
below. — ED.
Nov., 1896.] A Diary of Telepathic Impressions. 313
Sep. 18th, 4 p.m. — I telepathed that I was quite out of medicine. It-
came at a quarter to five o'clock.
Sep. 19th. — When my doctor came next day, he said "You telepathed for
your medicine yesterday, and I told you you should have it in time for the
next dose." I asked him if he would tell me what time this was, and he
said "4 o'clock, when I got it."
Sep. 23rd. — After tea I felt quite certain Mr. S. would come in, and I
told my husband to lie down and try and get a little sleep (his head was
so bad) before any one came. In ten minutes Mr. S. did come.
Sep. 26th. — I feel my sister from London will come next Wednesday.
Sep. 28th. — I dreamt Miss W., at Wy combe, was ill and I was with her
and asking all about her sufferings. I was just telling my husband, when
a letter came, saying she had been in bed ill for more than a week. (I have
since heard Miss W. had to have injections of morphia to help her bear
the pain. Perhaps that is why she came to me, because she knew how
often I have had to have it ? )
My husband and I both dreamt my sister from Rio came home.
Sep. 29th. — I telepathed for medicine to be here by 8 o'clock p.m., and
just as the clock was striking it came with the message : "Will you please
say if this is to time ? " I replied, " Yes, thank you, it is to the moment."
This proves Mr. Duke got my message.
Oct. 1st. — While I was in the town this morning, E. telepathed to me to
bring in a tea-cake, and just at the time I felt it and went to the first shop
and got one. (She told me after I got home.)
Oct. 3rd, Wed. — My sister intended coming to-day, she writes to say,
but could not get away. Will come Friday.
Oct. 8th. —I telepathed to my doctor to send my medicine by 8 o'clock,
but it did not come. I was so very vexed, because I told my sister what I
was doing and it is a failure.
Oct. 9th. — This morning I again sent a message, and said I would never
try again if this failed. Half-an-hour after, I got it and a note, saying my
message was felt last night, but Mr. Duke was called away. He felt it
again this morning and has sent it on.
Oct. 10th. — Have just telepathed for Mr. Duke to make out our account
and let us have it at once, 6.30 p.m.
Oct. llth, 7.30 p.m. — The account just come with a note, saying Mr.
Duke felt the influence last evening and several times since, and has taken
the very first opportunity of sending it.
Oct. 12th. — I expected my medicine all day, but it did not come ; so at
half-past 7 I telepathed for it to be here by 8 o'clock and it was, also a note
saying the message was felt.
[Dr. Duke's notes referring to these five days have been preserved
and shown to us. They are as follows : —
Tuesday, October 9th, 1894.
DEAR MRS. S., — I received your message yesterday, but just as I was
going to attend [to] it, 1 was called away for some time and this, I am very
314 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1896.
sorry to say, made me forget it. However, I got your message again this
morning, and send it on. Please write back your answer, which I will keep
for the sake of verification. Hope you are getting on well. — With kind
regards, yours very sincerely, THOMAS DUKE.
(2)
Rugby, October llth, 1894.
DEAR MRS. S. — I enclose my account until July, with many apologies for
not sending it sooner. Did you telepath to me last evening ? I felt the
influence very strongly, and have often at times since, but could not quite
make out whether you were ill or not.
Please write your answer, as I keep them for reference. — Yours faithfully,
THOMAS DUKE.
(3)
Bilton-road, Rugby, October 12th, 1894, 7.55 p.m.
DEAR MRS. S., — Many thanks for your note, which was very interest-
ng and most important.
I thought to-night, about half-hour or perhaps more since, that you were
telepathing to me to let you have the medicine by 8, I answered telepathi-
cally. Tt will be a little late, I am sorry to say, as patients bothered me
so, that I could not let the boy go. Please let me know if this is correct,
and keep all my notes for reference. Yours in haste, THOMAS DUKE.
P.S. — I thought you were talking to your husband and your sister about
it, and I can feel how excited you all are over this experiment as to whether
it will arrive by eight, and are watching the clock, your sister being only
half convinced.
[Mrs. S. adds with reference to the last note: — " What Mr. Duke
said about my husband and sister was quite correct ; it was just as he
described."]
Oct. 13th, 9.30a.m. — I telepathed to Mr. Sn. to come and ask my husband
and sister to go for a drive with him. They were thinking of going to
Leicester and I did not want them to go. He came at 10.15 a.m. and they
arranged to go with him. I told my sister before she could tell me who had
been and what for. I was in bed at the time and did not see him.
Oct. 15th, 7.30. — I left off telepathing for my medicine. When it came
at 8.10 p.m., I said when I heard the knock at the door, "That is my
medicine."
Oct. 18th. — I sent for my medicine, but it did not come.
Oct. 19th. — In the night I dreamt my father, Mrs. B., Mrs. J., Mrs. Br.,
and I were in a room quietly talking . . . and while we were all sitting
there talking, a vision came through the ceiling into the midst of us. We
could scarcely see it at first, but gradually it became more distinct, and it was
a young woman with a very plain face at first and a dreadfully heavy chin ;
but as we looked at her she became very beautiful, her expression was lovely,
her hair and figure were like my sister L.'s before she went abroad. She
tried to talk to us, but could only do so slowly at first. She said she had
been every night, but this was the first time she had been able to make
Nov., 1896.] A Diary of Telepathic Impressions. 315
herself seen. And I remember thinking it was because Mrs. J. was there.
She came to me and put her hand on my shoulder and I put my hand on her
waist while she was speaking to me and I felt her dress was soft satin,
(black)
Oct. 21st. — I dreamt my sister told me the maid did very well, and I
said, "Only very well?" This morning I have a letter saying the maid
did "very well."
Oct. 22nd. — Just as my husband shut the door, I telepathed to him with
all my force, "You are forgetting that very important letter." He stood
for a few seconds, then came back and fetched it.
Oct. 23rd. — Mrs. Ph. told me she often sees me when I am ill, and can
hear me speaking most distinctly. (How is this 1)
Oct. 23rd. — Mr. Duke called this evening, and said last night I appeared
to him three or four times, and he got quite vexed at me, because I kept
waking him, but he did not seem to be able to get rid of me. The last time
he saw me I was in bed, as if ill, my arm was above my head, and I had on
a turquoise blue jacket. This is very remarkable, because I always wear
pink jackets, and had only the day before finished making myself a blue
one, and tried it on before retiring, to be sure it was all right. I need
scarcely say Mr. Duke knew nothing whatever of this.*
[We sent a copy of this entry to Dr. Duke for endorsement, and he writes
with regard to it : — "July 3rd, 1896. — She did not actually appear to me,
but something which I thought connected with her woke me several times .
Quite true in other respects. — Thomas Duke." He adds : — "The statement
that Mrs. S. ' appeared ' to me is rather misleading. I was woke up several
times (and indeed on many nights), although a very sound sleeper, by what
felt like a strong telepathic impact from Mrs. S. She never actually
' appeared ' to me. On the one occasion referred to at the end, I closed my
eyes and tried to make out whether she really wanted me, when I seemed to
see her mentally as she describes, in the blue jacket ; but on questioning her
I found that she, at the time I was awakened, was not wearing this jacket,
though she had worn it all day."]
Oct. 28th, 2 o'clock p.m. — I distinctly felt Mrs. J. telepath to me that
she would come in. She came at 2.30. 1 told her she made up her mind
to come at 2 o'clock, and she said, yes, she did.
Oct. 28th. — I asked several times during the last week how Mrs. B. was,
(it was reported she was suffering from cancer) but could not get to hear
anything of her. Last night I dreamt I called to enquire, and was shown
into the drawing-room. In a few minutes Mrs. B. herself came in looking
very ill indeed, and when I asked her how she was, she said, " Oh, getting
better fast, and I shall soon be about again." I went to church, and made
a rush to catch her husband on coming out this morning, just to see if my
* Mrs. S. adds in a letter written March 30th, 1896 : — "The incident about my
doctor seeing my blue jacket the night I finished making it was very remarkable
indeed, for I assure you he knew nothing whatever about it, and never saw it at all
until that night when he said I appeared to him. I was very surprised when he
told me next day."
316 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1896.
dream was true, and upon my enquiry, he said, "Oh, she is getting better
fast, thank you, and will soon be about again."
[Note at foot of page, evidently added later.] (Nov. llth. — I saw Mrs.
B. at church this morning, and she looks just as she did in my dream.)
Oct. 30th. — I feel Mr. Duke is thinking he will make me telepath for
more medicine before he will send any, and I don't mean to.
10.45 a.m. — I am certain Mr. Duke will come.
11.30 a.m.— Mr. Duke just been. While here, he told he had been
waiting for a message about my medicine, and he feels I will not telepath
just now. I told Mr. Duke I felt he was bringing something for me to see,
and he said, " Oh, did you 1 " and at once took it out of his pocket.
Nov. 1st. — My medicine has not come, so at 9.30 I telepathed for it,
and it came. I had my reasons for not wishing to before.
Nov. 2nd. — I felt all [the] afternoon Mrs. J. would not come in to see me,
because she thought a certain lady (Mrs. C.) was here, and she did not want
to meet her.
Nov. 3rd. — Mrs. J. just been in and said she did not come yesterday
for the reason named. I was lying on the couch this afternoon thinking of
nothing, when all at once, Mrs. B. W. came into my mind and I wondered
how long it was since I saw her and what made me think of her just then,
and strange to say, after tea Mrs. B. W. was announced. I told her I had
been thinking about her that afternoon, and she said, " We have been talking
about you," and saying they had not seen me for two years and she would
come that very night.
Nov. 4th. — When Mrs. Br. came this evening I told her I felt she was
coming last night. She said she fully made up her mind to do so and she
was coming in, but her boy's cough became so bad she was obliged to stay
and doctor him.
Nov. 6th. — E. and I both felt Mr. Duke would come in this morning, and
he did. She told me she had been listening to every carriage passing before
he came.
Nov. 8th. — I told my husband before breakfast Mr. Sn. would call and
wish to drive me to Mrs. Ph. this afternoon. I was not very well, but hurried
up to be dressed when he came. He was here by a quarter to 11 o'clock, and
we went after dinner.
Nov. 10. — This afternoon, I could not help thinking about my old friend
Mrs. P., wondering where she was, and why she did not write to me.
Nov. llth. — After church this morning a friend, Miss F., stayed to speak
to me. She said she had had a letter this morning from Mrs. P. asking her
to see me, and tell me she was awfully busy removing ; that was why she had
not written, but would do so soon.
Nov. 12th.— My husband told me to telepath for medicine. I did, but
felt certain it would not come, and it didn't.
Nov. 13th. — I again telepathed for medicine at 10 o'clock a.m. It came
at 7 o'clock p.m.
Nov. 14th, Wednesday.— When the doctor came to-day, he said he had
been very much bothered, and did not get my message until Tuesday.
Nov., 1896.] A Diary of Telepathic Impressions. 317
Nov. 15th, Thursday. — This evening my husband very much wished to
see a certain Mr. S. I said, "Then telepath for him," but he said he
couldn't. I tried, but felt it failed. My husband timed him to be here
by 8.45. I could not see, but said, " You have given him until a quarter to 9
to come ; " but he didn't come.
Nov. 16th, Friday. — I am thinking a great deal about a lady friend away,
and ought to send some foreign stamps I promised, but my head is aching
so badly I cannot write.
Nov. 17th, Saturday. — This morning by first post I have a letter from this
friend, in which she says she is thinking about me all day, and feels she really
must write and thinks it strange I have not written to her.
Nov. 19th, Monday, 11 a.m. — I feel really vexed about my medicine, for
my doctor knows I require it. I have kept the last dose for a day, for fear
the pain comes.
8 o'clock p.m. — I have just asked E. for this last dose, telling her I feel
sure some more is coming.
8.30. — I felt my doctor said to me : " Then why don't you telepath if you
want more?" I said : "No, I will not, if it doesn't come."
8.45. — Medicine just come. I told E. Mr. D. would come to-morrow
morning. I called upon Mrs. S. and told her I expected her in to see me
every day last week. She said not a day passed but she thought she would
like to come in, but was afraid I might have visitors and so put it off.
Nov. 21st, Wednesday. — I passed Mrs. B.'s, who is ill in bed, and
wondered if she would know my footsteps. As I came back from my errand
I called to see her. This was at 11.30 a.m., and she told me she had just
been in a beautiful sleep and dreamt I came to see her. She had only just
said to her husband, " C. is coming this morning to see me."
Nov. 25th, Sunday. — While in church this morning I thought of Mrs. P.
and decided to go and see her, if fine, in the afternoon. When I got home,
I found a note from her (written while I was in church) asking me to go and
see her.
Nov. 26th, Monday. — When Mr. D. called to-day, I asked ivhy he did
not come last Tuesday. He said he thought of doing so, but had a small-
pox case turn up unexpectedly and felt it best not to do so.
Nov. 26th, Monday, 12 a.m. — I telepathed to E. in the kitchen (for I
could not go to her) to bake me two apples to have with my dinner, but at
dinner time she brought in my dinner but no apples. I felt disappointed,
but said nothing. Just as I was finishing, however, she brought in my
apples. I said, "When did you think of these?" She said, "All in a
moment after 12 o'clock." This I consider remarkable, because she was very
much occupied at the time.
Nov. 28th, Wednesday. — I telepathed to my husband to be home in ten
minutes. This was 25 minutes to 9 o'clock. He came just a minute before
the time. I wanted him very particularly.
Nov. 29th. Five minutes to 1 p.m. — I was sewing and all at once felt
Mr. D. was near, but thought it could not be, because he generally came
earlier. In ten minutes he drove past. He had been to a patient's at the
818 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1896.
bottom of the street and no doubt had just got there when I thought of him,
if I had troubled to go to the windows to see.
Dec. 1st.— While I was in bed I heard H. B. downstairs and wanted to
send some books by him to his mother, so I telepathed hard to E. to give
them to him. When she came upstairs I said, " I wanted you to give H. B.
those books." She said, " It's all right, Auntie, he has them, I thought of
them all at once." I had not mentioned it to her before. (Copied from a
paper.)
Dec. 2nd, Sunday. —I dreamt last night Mr. D. called and I was in a
fearful muddle, couldn't get ready for church, and he waited downstairs to
go with me there, said he should like to hear our Mr. W. S. When I woke
I thought, " Oh ! it's Sunday, he certainly will not come to-day," and I tried
to convince myself he would not. Still the feeling did not go away. I asked
for hot water, said I must get up, but as I was not at all well, E. did not
hurry, thinking I was as well in bed.
11.15 — Mr. D. just called. 1 could not see him, because I was not
dressed in time. When I heard his carriage drive past, I tried to convince
myself he would not come, but the feeling was too strong. He walked up
up here ; I dreamt he did.
I forgot to telepath for Mr. D. to go to Mrs. P. until after 10 o'clock,
when I felt it was too late.
Monday. — Mr. D. called and I asked if he went every evening to see
Mrs. P., when he said, "Yes, until last night, when I forgot all about it
until 10 o'clock, when I thought it too late." Strange, this is the first time
I have failed to remind him. I timed Mr. D. to be here by half -past
II a.m. ; it was twenty-five to 12 o'clock. He said he was detained in the
street five minutes by a gentleman.
Dec. 10th. — Directly I had finished my breakfast a strong feeling came
over me that Mr. D. would call, and again at half past 10 o'clock, and I
listened for his carriage. I gave him until 11 o'clock. He was here at 10
minutes to, and said at 9 o'clock he felt he must come, and again very
strongly at half-past 10 o'clock.
I had a note from Mrs. P. asking if he had not been, and also did not
come last Monday. I called to-day and she said, " I kno\v Mr. D. came
to see you last Monday. I know the time and something that was said
about me." I said, "Well, let me have it — fire away." She said he was
here at half-past 11 o'clock and while here I spoke to him very straight
about her and the way she could manage matters herself, and she repeated
our conversation. I said, "Oh ! it's all very well, Mr. D. has told you
what passed," but she vowed neither he or any one else had breathed a
word. She was in a kind of sleep and saw and heard all that passed.
Dec. 10th. — Yesterday my husband asked me to write a letter to Crewe
for him. This morning, directly I woke, I was thinking what I should say,
when my husband, without one word from me, said, " That was a very nice
letter from Mrs. S. You will answer it for me 1 "
I telepathed at half -past 7 o'clock last evening (Sunday) to Mr. D. to
be sure and go to Mrs. P., and to-day I asked what time he went and he
Nov., 1896.] A Diary of Telepathic Impressions. 319
said he knew, but wanted me to tell him. I would not, however, and he
said half-past 7 o'clock. I told him I felt he was not in church, and he said,
No, he had been, but was fetched out.
Dec. 12th. — My husband, after coming from a concert, was very busy
writing, and I wanted so badly to know if Mr. and Mrs. H. were there, but
dare not ask him. He looked up from his work and said, " Mr. and Mrs. H.
were there to-night."
Dec. 13th. — I telepathed to my doctor for more medicine, after taking
the last dose this morning. I have had none sent for a fortnight, and when
the doctor was in last it was never mentioned. I telepathed again in the
afternoon, and again at tea-time, but in the evening I telepathed reminding
him of Mrs. P., at 7.30.
About half-past 8 p.m. I received a note from the doctor, saying he felt
me telepath each time, and then, later in the evening, for Mrs. P. He asked
if this was right. He said he felt my last message about 7.30, and went.
Dec. 14th, 8.30. — I am really vexed at Mr. D. not sending my medicine
all day when he knows I want it, and have telepathed for it, telling him if it
does not come by 9 o'clock I will never telepath again. I watched the clock
until it struck 9, and no medicine came, but at Jive minutes past it was here,
and I said, "There's my medicine."
Dec. 16th. — We have just heard of the death of a friend, A.N. I told
my husband she would scarcely live through yesterday, and this morning
said I felt she had gone. She passed away at five minutes past 12 a.m.
Dec. 22nd. — My husband wanted a certain young man to take out some
notes of invitation for him. He did so well last year, but he felt he could
not ask him because he was playing in a football match ; but I knew the
weather was too rough for play, and so I telepathed for him to come, and he
came about 4 o'clock, asking if he might take out the notes like last year.
I said, " When did you think of this ? " And he said, " All at once on the
field, it came to me. "
Dec. 27th. — I woke this morning feeling awfully tired, but dare not
indulge, for I felt confident Mr. D. would call, but why I should feel thus
I cannot tell. At 11.30 I looked at the clock, and said to myself, " In five
minutes he'll be here," and just at the time his carriage drove up.
I telepathed to Mrs. J. to come in. I wanted to ask her about something
for Grannie, and had no one to send. She came in less than half-an-hour.
CORRESPONDENCE.
ON " A CASE OF INFORMATION SUPERNORMALLY ACQUIRED."
Professor A. Alexander has sent to Mr. Myers various criticisms
on the case collected by Mr. Petrovo-Solovovo and published, with
comments by Miss Johnson, in Part XXX. of the Proceedings, (p. 116)
under the above title. It will be remembered that in the case in
question, an apparition, calling itself Wischnevsky, appeared to Ivan
320 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1896.
Zdanovitch and subsequently to him and his brother together, and
stated that a fur-cloak bought at second-hand by the former had
belonged to one Nevsky, who had died of phthisis. This turned out to
be correct, but the statement of the apparition about " Wischnevsky "
could not be verified. Professor Alexander writes : —
Caixa 906, Rio, July 21st, 1896.
. . . Allow me to point out that in the Russian case printed in the
last Proceedings the speeches attributed to the ghost differ to a suspicious
degree from the generally hazy and fragmentary communications of other
similar apparitions. It does not appear that Mr. Solovovo ever had a
personal interview with the percipients themselves.* My own experience
leads me to the conclusion that in these investigations correspondence,
however extensive and prolonged, fails to elicit exact information, unless,
indeed, you have in hand that rara avis, a very good witness. A slight
apparent discrepancy may be noticed between Mr. Kronhelm's presentation
of the case and the statement of Ivan Zdanovitch. In the comments no
account is taken of the difficulty of getting proper names through subliminal
strata, t These (the names), I believe, often tend to resolve themselves into
other similar names stored in the supraliininal memory. The transformation
thus effected would throw investigators entirely off the track. In some
automatic, or, as I should prefer calling it, intuitional, script of my own, to
be described in detail on a future occasion, I had to write the word navio
(ship). First of all the name of a German grammarian came into my mind,
Madvig, but with the medial consonants transposed as if it were Mavdig, and
although I had an inkling that something was wrong, I did not at that
moment recollect the right form of the name. I wrote therefore Mav, and
stopped. The pencil had traced the first stroke of the M so faintly that the
syllable read as Nav, and this I forthwith completed as Navio. In a
less passive frame of mind, this part of the message would have been falsified
into Mavdig, the material being utilised which lay nearest at hand in my
supraliminal memory.
To pass to another point, I believe that the view generally accepted by
S.P.R. authorities is that apparitions, whether falsidical or veridical, are in
themselves messages clothed in a sensory form. If so, they ought not to be
confounded with "controls," for the subliminal self is hypothetically a real
entity, even when masquerading. Yet the ghost in the Russian case is
thrown by Miss Johnson into the same category as " Phinuit. "
I do not know why sensory hallucinations should, on the strength of the
highly dramatic character of dreams and crystal-visions, be supposed so
capable of being mere histrionic conceptions of the subliminal self. A large
part of the evidence for hallucinations published by the S.P.R. seems to
point to an opposite conclusion, for in the veridical cases in which the
* The place where the apparition was seen is about 750 miles from St.
Petersburg, where Mr. Solovovo lives. — ED.
t See, however, Mrs. Yen-all's note on this point, loc. cit., p. 124, foot-note. — ED.
Nov., 1896.] Correspondence. 321
hallucinatory impressions can be traced to a probable source, it is found that
they are very generally the more or less exact reflections of a real occurrence,
and if more incomplete than our normal percepts, they are almost as literal
in presentation. It would appear, indeed, that when a sensory impression
is sufficiently vivid to be projected outwards, it is very likely to correspond
to some external reality. Symbolism and histrionism would rather seem to
belong to the play of an imagination spontaneously exercised or only slightly
stimulated by telepathic agency.
On page 123 of the Proceedings, Mrs. McCall Black's and Dr. D. J.
Parsons' cases are referred to in support of the surmise that the guilty
conscience of the Jew dealer was the cause of the telepathic impact received
by Mr. Zdanovitch. It may be, indeed, that the brooding over crimes and
misdeeds, whether already realised or existing only in intention, does some-
times produce the conditions necessary for unconsciously impressing a
distant percipient. But in the case under consideration, this explanation
does not seem to be an adequate one. To judge from the account, the Jew's
ideas about right and wrong did not rise above the level of morality of the
class to which he belonged. He is supposed to have lied about the fur cloak.
Well, — a little fibbing was quite in the way of business and was not likely to
disturb his mind. I can hardly imagine a Russian Jew brooding in trouble
over an untruth which had helped him to effect a sale ; and unless the dread
of contagion from phthisis is common among the lower classes in Russia, it
is not at all probable that he was aware of the danger lurking in an infected
article of clothing, such as the fur cloak is supposed to have been. Admitting,
however, that he did feel some slight misgivings on the subject, were they
sufficient to cause such vivid and recurrent hallucinations in the mind of a
person who must have been almost a stranger to him ? I do not think so.
The agency in such impressions and hallucinations as those under discussion
can only be a matter of very cautious conjecture.
A music master, Snr. Mathias Teixeira, has recently related to me, among
other facts of his personal experience, the following :
Some 15 or 16 years ago, he stood talking one night at a very late hour to
a friend of his, — this at the door of a cigar-shop in the Rua do Theatre, Rio.
While conversing, a very uneasy feeling came over him, as if he were in
danger of imminent assassination. He spoke to his friend about it and
urged him to come away. That very night, and not long after they had left
the spot, the floor (or floors) above the cigar-shop gave way and, falling in,
killed some, if not all, of the inmates of the house.
Now, if instead of the menaced fall of a house, the danger had really
proceeded from a plot to rob or murder him, it would have been easy to
conclude that the would-be criminals were unconsciously concerned in trans-
mitting a telepathic warning, and, nevertheless, this conclusion would have
been erroneous — always supposing that the subliminal self of Snr. Teixeira
had obtained an inkling of their intentions in the same unaided way in which
it sensed danger in the unsafe proximity of the cigar-shop.
Mere hypotheses must not be allowed to "set." They need beating up
occasionally. Are all collective hallucinations transferred from a first
322 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 1S96.
percipient to others ? This supposition would receive much confirmation if
a perceptible interval in time were observable between the impressions
received by the different persons present. I have an idea, however, that
such collective experiences sometimes come to two or more percipients at
exactly the same moment, and this would favour your conjecture that
the energy that causes them may on occasion be localised outside the
percipients.
A. ALEXANDER.
Professor Alexander's remarks were submitted to Miss Johnson,
who writes in reply : —
I do not think that Professor Alexander represents my position quite fairly
in saying that I have "thrown the ghost into the same category as 'Phinuit.'"
What I attempted to do was to indicate provisionally all the interpretations
of the case that I could think of— none of which seemed to me completely
satisfactory — and to consider in connection with them any phenomenon that
could possibly throw light on them . Thus, I compared the apparition to a
" control, " because " mediums " often represent their " controls " to them-
selves under the semblance of a visible form. This does not prove that the
source of the apparition is the same in both cases ; it merely shows that it
may be so. To compare hallucinations, as I also did, to dreams and crystal-
visions is simply to follow the ordinary psychological view of them.
In the "Report on the Census of Hallucinations" (Proceedings, Vol. X.,
p. 301) the view is expressed that "experience gives some ground for think-
ing that telepathic ideas do project themselves as hallucinations more readily
than others ; " this, however, is a very different thing from the converse of
the same proposition, as stated by Professor Alexander, namely, that ' ' when
a sensory impression is sufficiently vivid to be projected outwards, it is very
likely to correspond to some external reality." We know that many
hallucinations are subjective, because we can often trace their origin. We
cannot, therefore, assume in any particular case that a hallucination is not
subjective, unless we have definite evidence to that effect. And if some
features in a complicated vision appear to be veridical, while others cannot
be verified, we ought not, I think, to assume that these latter also represent
some external reality.
The telepathic agency of the Jew dealer in the case referred to was,
again, only put forward as one of three possible explanations — not, in my
view, a specially probable one. I believe, however, that phthisis is
generally considered on the Continent to be a very infectious disease, so that
his sense of guilt on the subject would presumably have been much stronger
than if the case had occurred in England.
At the same time, I fully admit the force of Professor Alexander's argu-
ments as to the difficulty of proving that the hallucination was caused
telepathically. But by telepathy, I think we do not postulate anything
more than the derivation of ideas from another mind ; there is no necessity
for supposing any mental activity, either conscious or unconscious, on the
Nov., 1896.] Correspondence. 323
part of the "agent." And since the evidence— especially the experimental
evidence — for telepathy is far stronger than that for clairvoyance (by
which I mean the direct perception of material conditions otherwise than
through the recognised sensory channels), it seems to me safer for the
present to interpret as telepathic all cases where the percipient's impression
relates to facts unknown to himself, but known to some other person.
With regard to Professor Alexander's ingenious suggestion that we might
test whether collective hallucinations are transferred from one percipient to
another by noting whether the impressions are received by both at precisely
the same moment or not, I cannot feel that such a test could be made
conclusive — even if instruments of the almost inconceivable delicacy required
for exactly recording the moment of perception could ever be made. What
we know so far of telepathy lends no support to the supposition that it works
through a physical medium. We have not discovered any physical substance
acting as an obstacle to it ; neither have we any reason for believing that
it takes longer to affect a percipient thousands of miles off than one near
at hand. We do not know that any time at all is required for the
transmission. It is, however, reasonable to suppose — on the analogy of all
physiological and mental processes known to us — that, whether or not an
idea in one mind takes time to reach another telepathically, there is a period
of latency after it first enters that other mind before it emerges into full
consciousness ; and that this latent period varies in different persons. Any
want of coincidence in time, therefore, between the impressions of two
percipients in a collective hallucination would not necessarily tend to show
that the impression was transferred from one to the other, because the
latent period may have been longer in one case than in the other. On the
other hand, if the impressions could be proved to be absolutely coincident,
this would not, I think, tell against the telepathic explanation, because, as
already remarked, we have no reason to think that any time is required for
the transmission.
ALICE JOHNSON.
"POLTERGEISTS."
To the Editor of the JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
SIR, — In the interests of impartial criticism it would no doubt have been
desirable that the cases discussed in my paper on Poltergeists, in Proceed ings,
Part XXX. , should have been printed in full. But I doubt if many readers
of the Proceedings will have shared Colonel Taylor's regret that such was not
the case. As regards the method of selection pursued, I should perhaps
explain that I went upon the principle of printing as fully as possible the
doubtful cases, and abridging those only where either trickery was clearly
indicated, or where none of the manifestations as reported were beyond
human powers to have performed. I agree, of course, with Colonel Taylor
that no selection of the kind can be wholly satisfactory, where it is possible
for different views to be taken of the evidence ; but I may perhaps infer —
since he urges nothing to the contrary — that in the case (No. VI. in my
324 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [Nov., 189G.
article) in which Colonel Taylor was himself the reporter, he accepts my
presentation of the evidence as at any rate impartial.
As regards the general argument of his letter, I must join issue with him,
mainly on this ground — that he assumes the offensive, when he should be
wholly on the defensive. The antecedent presumption against the operation
of any new physical force in such matters is of course very great. It would
still be great, even if we had — what we have not — incontrovertible proof
of the action of such a new force in a neighbouring field. But when this
general presumption is strengthened by the discovery that, in some of the
cases under consideration, the phenomena were actually due to ordinary
human agencies, the presumption becomes almost overwhelming.
No doubt, as Colonel Taylor points out, the common sense view that these
marvels are all due to trickery assumes errors of observation and memory
which cannot always be proved, and assumes further that these errors will
generally tend to make the facts appear more marvellous. As regards the
first point, I cannot agree with Colonel Taylor that the disagreement which I
proved to exist in several of these cases between various witnesses as to the
presence, absence, or position of particular persons, is a matter of little conse-
quence ; since the person about whose whereabouts there was this ambiguity
was as a rule the person to whom circumstances pointed as the author of the
trickery. As regards the second point, our experience in psychical research
has been that mistakes of this kind generally tell in favour of the marvel.
But as a matter of fact, the argument of my paper is independent of any
demonstration of individual errors, and I may perhaps be allowed to say
here that, until in the early part of this year I carefully collated these
eleven cases, I held it as not improbable that there was something inex-
plicable in these Poltergeist manifestations. That I now hold the opposite
opinion is not due to the strength of the a priori presumption already referred
to, but solely to the fact that I can find no evidence that will weigh against
that presumption. There are obviously two qualities to be looked for in
evidence : first, it must be good as evidence, i.e., it must be recent, and must
proceed from witnesses of intelligence and character ; and, secondly, the
things attested must be of such a kind that no mistake about them is possible.
Now, in examining these Poltergeist cases, I could nowhere find these two
qualities combined. There is much testimony that is credible, but incon-
clusive ; and again much which would be conclusive if its remoteness and
the defect of education on the part of the witnesses did not lessen its credi-
bility. My argument is that the field of inquiry is already so wide that we
are justified in drawing the inference that this characteristic of the evidence
is not accidental. It is precisely because the evidence in Case VI., for
instance, is credible, that it is inconclusive ; and again, the conclusiveness
of the evidence in Case I. is due to the circumstances which lessen its
credibility. To me it appears that the only method of refuting this
conclusion is to produce testimony which shall be at once credible and
conclusive.
FRANK PODMORE.
No. CXXXIV.— VOL. VII. DECEMBER, 1S9<>.
JOURNAL
OF THE INCORPORATED
SOCIETY FOR PSYCHICAL RESEARCH.
CONTENTS.
Experiments in Thought-transference at a D istance— illustrated
Cases
Supplementary Library Catalogue
EXPERIMENTS IN THOUGHT-TRANSFERENCE
AT A DISTANCE.
Our readers may remember an article in the Journal for June,
1893, (Vol. VI., p. 98), containing a description of experiments in the
transference of diagrams, carried out by the Rev. A. Glardon, of
Tour-de-Peilz, Vaud, Switzerland, as agent, with a friend of his,
Mrs. M., as percipient, she being at the time at least 200 miles
distant from him. Both Mrs. M. and Mr. Glardon are Associates of
the S.P.R.
Some time after this account appeared, Mr. Glardon sent us two
more sets of experiments of the same kind, with the information that
he was still continuing the experiments. As no further report of
these has yet reached us, we give here an account of all hitherto
received.
The original diagrams drawn by both agent and percipient, care-
fully dated and with the notes they made on them at the time, have
been sent to us, and most of them are reproduced in the Plates.
Though in no case has the agent's diagram been reproduced by the
percipient with absolute accuracy, we think that the degree of resem-
blance on the whole is decidedly beyond what could reasonably be
attributed to chance. It will be seen from the account what propor-
tion of success was attained, though it is not easy to estimate this
with exactitude, because the percipient several times made a number
of little scribbles which might be counted either as parts of one
drawing, or all as separate drawings. See, e.g., Plate II., R. 3. Where
we have given the number of drawings she made, without reproducing
all of them, (see e.g., Plate I., R. 1, b) we have, of course, counted as
many as possible, in order not to over-estimate the argument against
326 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC., 1896.
chance coincidence. Thus, such a case as R. 3 would have been
counted as eight drawings.
The experiments will be best understood by a full description of
the Plates, which we now proceed to give.
In all cases, the letter O on the Plates denotes the drawings of the
agent and the letter R those of the percipient ; and the dotted lines
mark off the drawings belonging to each experiment.
PLATE I. — In the experiments here illustrated, the agent was at
Tour-de-Peilz, and the percipient at Florence, and the former notes
"10 p.m." on his sheet of diagrams as the hour of the experiments,
also that he used the diagram 0. 1 on May 8th and 9th, [1893] and
O. 2 on May 10th and llth.
The percipient made one drawing, reproduced as R. 1, a, on May 8th.
On May 9th she made eight attempts, of which the one most nearly
resembling 0. 1 is given, as R. 1, b. On her paper is noted " 1893,
Tuesday, May 9th, 10.15." On May 10th, she attempted nothing.
The whole of what she drew on May llth is reproduced as " R. 2 " ;
her paper being marked, " May 11, '93 ; 10 p.m."
PLATE II. — The diagrams O. 3 and 0. 4 were used in experiments
in which the agent was at Tour-de-Peilz and the percipient at Torre
Pellice, Italy; O. 3 was used on May 19th and 0. 4 on May 22nd and
23rd; in all cases at 10 p.m. R. 3 represents all the drawings made
by the percipient on May 19th; her paper is marked " 19 May, 1893;
10 p.m.;" and also bears the note : — " a small very bright design or
object." On May 23rd, at 10.5 p.m., she made three drawings, two of
which are reproduced as R. 4. It will be observed that the bracket in
the agent's drawing seems to be reproduced in the second of these, but
this may be a mere chance resemblance. O. 5 is the diagram used by
the agent on June 2nd at 10 p.m., he being still at Tour-de-Peilz, and
the percipient at Vevey. She made no drawing on this date, but
notes: — "June 2nd, 1893 ; 10 p.m. See nothing but a sort of frame
and a crown; too sleepy to draw it."
The agent's drawing corresponding to R. 6 is shown as O. 6 on
Plate III. In this experiment, the agent and percipient were both in
the same house at Tour-de-Peilz, but in different rooms. It occurred
on June 7th, 1893, and Mr. Glardon gives the following account of
it:—
" Gryon-sur-Bex, Vaud, June 27th, 1893.
"Mrs. M. was sitting alone in a room adjoining the one I was in.
I drew the diagram and fixed my attention on it. After two or three
minutes, Mrs. M. called aloud, saying, ' I am too much excited to-day,
don't go on ; ' and on my entering the room, she said, ' I can see
DEO., 189G.] Thought-transference at a Distance. 327
nothing but the design of the embroidery I have been working at this
morning, and I will not draw it because I think it too silly.'
" She sent me afterwards that design ; you can judge for yourself.
The fact is that, unawares, T had drawn a diagram resembling closely
that design."
Mrs. M. sends us also the following note, with regard to this series
of experiments : —
" Gryon-sur-Bex, June 27th, 1893.
" DEAR SIR, — I wish to add a few words to Mr. Glardon's com-
munication of even date.
" I would say that during the latter part of the experiments which
Mr. Glardon and I made after sending off the first results to you, I
was on a visit and was frequently disturbed ; in fact, I often found it
impossible to keep the appointment as desired.
" May I add that I think if my friend had made but one single
drawing on a page instead of many, the impression on my mind might
have been more distinct. >0f this I cannot be sure, but it may be
worthy of consideration."
This refers to the fact that the first five diagrams Mr. Glardon
used (besides two used by him on May 6th and May 12th, on which
days Mrs. M. apparently made no attempts to receive an impression)
were drawn on one sheet of paper. The percipient's drawings, how-
ever, do not afford any clear evidence that confusion was produced by
this means.
The rest of the diagrams on Plates III. and IV. belong to a later
series of experiments, carried out between December 14th, 1893, and
January 9th, 1894. They were sent to us in April, 1894, by Mr.
Glardon, who writes : —
" Tour-de-Peilz, April 24«A, 1894.
" . . . I have made a new series with the same correspondent,
Mrs. M., she being in Ajacuio, Corsica, where she is still, and I here.
The time was half-past nine p.m., French time ; and the results have
not been very satisfactory. During December, 1893, and January,
1894, we tried many times a week. Unfortunately, Mrs. M. did not
always attend, and I myself was sometimes prevented by visits or
committees from attending ; so that, in all, we had only a dozen real
experiments, both attending the same night and at the same moment.
Of these, I send you four instances in which it seems to me that we
achieved a fair amount of success. One is a striking example of
delayed and persistent impression. Two nights running I tried to
send a Maltese cross [see 0. 10]. Mrs. M. sat on the same days, and
328 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC., 1896.
the two days following, — pencil in hand and eyes shut as usual, — on the
5th, the 6th, the 8th, and the 9th of January ; and the approximation
was every time greater, till the cross came out distinctly.
" On December 28th, Mrs. M. seems to have seen the comet I had
drawn pretty well [see O. 9]. On the 14th, she had an impression of
something resembling a crown, and I had drawn a rose [see O. 7].
Finally, on the 21st, she reproduced at once and exactly my drawing,
as you will see from her own bit of paper [see O. 8 and R. 8]. It is a
pity she did not use for our sittings anything larger than a common
note-book. However, I send you leaves torn from it, corresponding
to my drawings."
In these four experiments, we have reproduced all the drawings
made by the agent, and also all made by the percipient on each
occasion, except in the experiment of January 5th-9th, 1894, which
is marked O. 10 and R. 10.
In her drawings marked in the Plate R. 7, she notes the date and
hour as December 14th, 10 p.m. ; and writes : " Like a pair of tongs
— a tooth with prongs — a crown," — the three descriptions apparently
referring to her three drawings. The agent's drawing, O. 7, is dated
December 14th, 1893. Her drawings marked R. 8 are dated December
21st, 1893, 9.30 p.m., the agent's, O. 8, being dated December 21st,
1893; and those marked R. 9 are dated December 28th, 1893, 9.30 p.m.,
the agent's, O. 9, being also dated December 28th, 1893.
With regard to the experiment of January 5th-9th, 1894, the
original diagram was a Maltese cross (Plate III., 0. 10), which the agent
notes that he used on January 5th and 6th, 1894. The percipient made
on January 5th, at 9.30 p.m., four drawings, of which the one most like
a Maltese cross is reproduced as R. 10, a. On January 6th at the
same hour, she made four drawings, none of which are at all like the
cross. On January 8th, at 9.30 p.m., she made four drawings, the
most successful of which is reproduced as R. 10, b. On January 9th,
at 9.30 p.m., she made first two drawings, resembling each other pretty
closely, and added the note, "same impression as last time." One of
these is reproduced as R. 10, c. She seems then to have gone off on an
altogether wrong tack, as nine diagrams of a different character, some
of them resembling a flag or a key, follow. Next she appears to have
made a fresh start, drawing three diagrams, one of which is R. 10, d.
To these she appends the note : " always come back to the same thing.
Probably he has sent nothing." Finally, on one corner of the sheet,
she draws a Greek key pattern, marked " afterwar. ."
In this experiment, the large number of attempts made, and the
fact that success was not attained until two or three days after the
JL
JL
0.3
DEO., 1896.] Cases. 329
agent was trying to transfer the drawing, of course strengthen the
probability that the success may have been merely due to chance. On
the other hand, all the diagrams made on each day, except the last,
resemble one another more or less closely, as if the percipient had had
only one or two ideas of a form in her mind on each evening. On
January 9th also, the drawings of each of the three sets just described
show marked resemblances to one another. Consequently, the proba-
bility of a chance coincidence is not so great as the total number of
drawings would make it appear to be.
We have also to remember that, as Mr. Glardon informs us, there
was no written communication between agent and percipient during
this time, so that she did not know that he was using the same
diagram two days running. In answer to the question whether he
attempted to transfer any diagrams to Mrs. M. on January 8th and
9th, Mr. Glardon says (May 2nd, 1894) that he does not remember,
but he believes not.
We hope that the publication of these experiments may encourage
other members of the Society to make similar attempts and record
them with equal care and precision. There is no other branch of
psychical research in which experimentation is easier, — though we
cannot, of course, be sure of obtaining any definite results in it — and
perhaps none in which results, if obtained at all, are of more lasting
value.
CASES.
G. 251. Apparitions.
The following account of a " haunted house " was received a short
time ago by Mr. Bark worth.
Mrs. Dauntesey, of Ayecroft Hall, Manchester, writes to him : —
June 15th, 1896.
The ghost seen at Ayecroft Hall is the figure of a woman, sometimes
black, and sometimes white. Only the back is generally seen — the face has
never been seen. The figure has been seen in nearly all the rooms at
different times. I have only seen it once myself, some years ago. It was in
broad daylight, about 11 a.m. ; I was kneeling in a doorway, superintending
its decoration for a party ; I looked up and saw the figure — in black — which
appeared to have walked over me, through the doorway. It went through a
door on the left into the hall. Two people were in there. I followed quickly
and questioned the people in the room. The figure was not there, nor had
they seen anybody come in before me.
It has been seen in daylight since by a friend. I can give you his name
and address : Theo. J. Bolland, Esq., Longreach, Keynsham, Somersetshire.
330 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC., 1896.
He says he will be glad to answer any questions you may ask him. Also
Mr. Harrison ; I will send you his statement.
My husband has seen the figure a great many times, and friends who
have been staying with us, and servants have seen it. My husband has seen
it at night. There is an archway from the hall (where we sit) into the
entrance hall. [See plan.] There are two doors, one on right and one on
left of entrance hall, one is the drawing-room and the other the library. My
husband sitting in the hall, facing the entrance hall, has several times seen
a figure cross from the drawing-room door to the library, and on following
it at once, has found nobody there. There was no other door to library.
My husband also saw it in daylight last summer in the same place.
There are strange noises heard about the house at times. We have
frequently thought we heard a carriage drive up to the door in the evening,
and have gone out and seen nothing ; but we think this may be accounted
for by trains passing.
The appearance of the ghost has been followed by a death in either my
husband's family or my own in every case. We know of no story in con-
nection with the ghost, but my husband succeeded an old invalid lady, his
cousin, and he had never seen her. She only lived at Ayecroft two months
in the year.
I had a very vivid experience of a ghost, at Buxton, in an old house,
some years ago. There was a story about that, and I described the man who
appeared exactly, although I did not know anything about a ghost or any
story, before seeing it. ALICE DATJNTESEy,
Mrs. Dauntesey enclosed the following two letters : —
(1) From Mr. Dauntesey.
June 16th, 1896.
The first time I saw the ghost at Ayecroft Hall was in 1885 or 1886. It
was in the evening, about 9 or 9.30. I went up to my wife's bedroom to
fetch something. I thought I saw Mrs. Dauntesey's maid standing in front
of the toilet-table, which stands in front of the window. I made no remark,
got what I wanted, and went downstairs again. I then said that I had seen
the maid in the bedroom. I was told that that could not be the case, as she
was at the theatre in Manchester. Enquiries were made as to whether any
other servant had been up to the room. Supper was going on in the
servants' hall, and the housekeeper assured me no one was absent from
it. The figure was dressed in white, and appeared to be arranging the
toilet-table.
The second time, some years later, I was sitting in the hall alone. It
was about 11.30 p.m. The ladies had just gone upstairs, and two or three
men who were staying in the house had gone up also, to change their coats.
I had sent the servants to bed. I saw a black figure coming from a door
leading to back part of house [marked A in the plan]. It passed through
the archway to foot of staircase. At the moment I thought it was one of
the servants, but I remembered directly that I had heard them go through
the door already mentioned, and lock it after them. I then went to
DEC., 1896.]
Cases.
331
investigate. Found this door locked on far side, and doors of drawing-room
and library locked on near side. Front door locked, and chain up. There
were people talking at top of the stairs, so no one could have gone that way
without being seen. There were two moderator lamps burning ; all other
lights had been put out.
Up to last year I had a very favourite fox terrier, who used to sleep in
my dressing-room. She always went up with me, and, as a rule, made
Drawing-room
Front
Door
Library
Hall
Store room
Smoking
Room
PLAN OK GROUND-FLOOB OF AYECROFT HALL, NOT DRAWN TO SCALE.
A, B, C, DOORS.
herself comfortable at once, but once or twice she showed a perfect horror
of the room, and looked fixedly into one corner of it, trembling violently
all the time. On these occasions I always took her away to another room,
when she would settle down at once. I searched the room thoroughly, but
could find nothing. I have slept in it several times when I have been
alone.
ROBERT DAUNTESEY.
332 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC., 1896.
(2) From Mr. E. Harrison, of Silverton, Silver-street, Enfield Town.
Having been asked to state what I saw of a so-called ghost while staying
at Ayecroft Hall, Christmas, 1886, I will jot down, as far as I can
remember, what took place.
After dressing for dinner, I was on my way downstairs — a short flight
leading to lobby between smoking-room and hall, which had small window
looking into garden at one end, and inner and outer doors leading into
courtyard at the other, [marked B and C in plan] both of which were shut —
when I saw a white figure pass the foot of the stairs, going towards the hall
and smoking-room (the doors of which face each other), which I took to be
one of the maids, and on reaching the bottom was surprised not to see
her, as I was so close behind her. I opened the door and went into the hall,
where I found a lady visitor standing in front of the fire. I asked her if she
had seen one of the maids in white pass. Her reply was ' ' No one has been
here, and you know at this time of the day all the servants are dressed." I
at once looked into the smoking-room, but it was empty.
I took so little notice of what I thought to be one of the housemaids,
that I am quite unable to give any description of the figure in detail, but as
no one was in the passage, and no person passed through the hall, I can
only conclude that I saw a ghost.
Mr. Harrison explained by a plan sent later the exact part of the
house in which he had seen the figure.
In answer to questions, Mrs. Dauntesey writes : —
Jum 2Qth, [1896].
DEAR SIK, — I am very glad to answer any questions you may wish to
ask. I have never heard that any of the people who saw the ghost at
Ayecroft had any of the symptoms you describe ; they appeared to be
startled only, and not even frightened.
My husband says that there was no gradual development from mist or
shadow of the form he saw ; it appeared as you describe it, full-blown,
exactly as a living person would. As far as I know, this was the case when
others saw it. My husband says he saw the apparition about six times,
but in the two instances he mentioned to you the figure was very much
more distinct than in the others. The appearances have spread over the
14J years that we have been married. We never heard of anything being
seen before then ; but, as I told you, we were not likely to hear or know any
thing about the house. My husband is of a very calm temperament, who
looks the very last person one would connect with a ghost-story. He is
absolutely " without nerves " as we say, and not in the least imaginative. I
am of a very nervous temperament myself, and am very often wakeful at
night, and yet I have only seen the ghost at Ayecroft once.
I hear that last week my head housemaid, a woman of over 30, had a
fit of hysterics, caused by, as she says, a ghost walking along the passage
outside her room. She is firmly convinced that it was no human footfall
she heard. She was a new servant, as, strangely enough, all the others are,
DEC., 1896.] Cases. 333
and my housekeeper assures me that nothing was known by any of them
about the house being "haunted." It is a strange thing, but everybody
who has seen or heard a ghost at Ayecroft, seems to be absolutely certain
that what they heard or saw was supernatural, and no amount of persuasion,
of suggesting of other causes, will move them. I should prefer not to
ask this woman to write her experience down, as it is important for me
not to frighten the servants, and it would do so if I were to speak of it to
them.
I could, however, get you an account written by a former housemaid,
who saw the ghost distinctly eleven years ago. She has been married
some time, and would not be likely to be writing to any of the present
servants.
With regard to the ghost I saw at Buxton, I can affirm that I had no
idea that a ghost had ever been seen in those rooms, or that anybody had
hanged himself over the banisters. I had heard some years before, but had
entirely forgotten it, that in another part of the house, downstairs, ' ' a little
grey lady " passed through a swing door. I am sure this had no connection
with the experience I had. My ghost was an old gentleman dressed as I
have described, and my mother-in-law told me some years after, and before I
told her of my experience, that this old gentleman had been seen in the very
doorway I mention. It had not been spoken of for many years, and
my husband, who had lived there for many years of his early life, had
entirely forgotten it. It certainly had never been mentioned to me. I had
had an attack of faintness at the dinner table, and had gone up to my room
to lie down, when I looked up and saw it. It was not quite dusk, but not
broad daylight.
ALICE DAUNTESEY.
Mrs. Dauntesey sent us later an account obtained from the servant
referred to above, as follows : —
It happened one night during the summer months, when the house had
to be lighted up about nine. As I walked up the passage towards the east
room, a shadow of a lady dressed in white fell on the door, just as if she was
walking out of the room, and I stepped back to allow her to pass, when it all
at once disappeared, and on going into the room I found the door closed and
no one there.
SUSAN Boss.
I believe she means that the door was locked ; she told me that. — A. D.
Another of the percipients mentioned in Mrs. Dauntesey's first
letter writes to Mr. Barkworth in July, 1896 : —
With regard to the apparition which I saw at Ayecroft Hall, the follow-
ing is the story : — I was staying in the house some time in November, 1892,
and one evening, having gone to my room to dress for dinner before the
others, I was coming downstairs again, about 7.15, and on my way down I
saw a girl in white come out of the drawing-room, pass the end of the staircase
and go into the library, which is opposite the drawing-room. [See plan.] I was
334 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC., 1896.
not in the least startled, as I supposed one of the ladies in the house must
have also come down early. I followed her into the library, but was
surprised on entering to see no one present. There is only one door into
the room and she could not have come out again without my seeing her. I
told Mr. Dauntesey what I had seen, and he said several others had seen the
same. I had never previously heard about there being any ghost ; if I had
done so, I should have looked at her more carefully. As it was, it never
entered my head that it was anything unnatural. I have never seen it
since, though I have often stayed in the house.
THEO. J. BOLLAND.
The two following letters from Mrs. and Mr. Dauntesey give some
further details of her experience at Buxton and of the apparition seen
at Ayecroft Hall.
Ayecroft Hall, Manchester, July 17th, [1896].
[As to] the ghost I saw at Buxton, the old gentleman I saw was dressed
in a dark blue cloth coat, with brass buttons ; the coat was cut away very
much as an ordinary dress coat is now-a-days. He had a white necktie
wound round and round his neck, of the kind described, I believe, as a
"choker," with a tiny bow in front.
What I heard afterwards was this : that an old man who lived in the
house a great many years ago, hanged himself over the banisters, and that
20 years previously to the time I saw the ghost, he had often appeared and
had frightened the nursemaids. He had appeared exactly where I saw him.
I feel quite certain that I had never heard the story until after I saw the
figure, and it was two years after. My mother-in-law had left Wyelands for
many years, and had gone back to it again to live, and that is the reason, I
suppose, why the story had died out.
ALICE DAUNTESEY.
Ayecroft Hall, Manchester, Aiigust 19th, 1896.
DEAR SIR, — In answer to your first question, the ghost was seen shortly
before my little daughter's death, first by myself in my wife's room one
evening, and about a week after by the housemaid (now Mrs. Boss), whose
account you have already received. On another occasion an aunt of my
wife's died between two and three months after it was seen by Mr. Harrison.
On the other occasions when it has been seen, a death has occurred either
in my wife's or my family shortly after. During the last three years my
wife has had the misfortune to lose three near relations, her father, a
brother, and a sister. During that time the ghost was seen certainly
three times, if not more. Mr. Harrison and Mrs. Dauntesey both saw it
in the same part of the house. I enclose a plan of that part. You will
see by the plan that the only direction in which a living person could have
got away was through the [hall, the door marked B being locked] and on each
occasion there were people in that room who said no one had entered it.
With regard to what my wife saw at Buxton, we have asked my mother
if she knew of any one, now living, who saw the figure before ; she says
DEC., 1896.] Cases. 335
she does not know of anybody, as the nurses, who alone seem to have seen
the ghost then, she has long since lost sight of. The date at which my
wife saw it was in July, 1890.
EGBERT DAUNTESEY.
G. 252. " Haunted House."
The following account of similar apparitions seen several times in
the same house, in Dublin, by various persons, was sent to us by Mrs.
St. George, of 2, Jervis Place, Clonmel, an Associate of the Society,
who had been an active worker for the Census of Hallucinations. The
address of the house and the names of the percipients, who are friends
of hers, were given us in confidence. She writes : —
July IQth, [1895].
DEAR SIR, — I received the enclosed this morning from my friends, the
Miss R.'s. Miss M. R. has had at least five different experiences, and Miss
A. R. has had nearly as many. Every member of the family has heard or
seen "something." Mrs. R. has heard the billiard balls being knocked
about constantly during the night. They used to have a table in the large
room over their stables, before the latter were let ; it was in this room and
on the stairs going down to what were formerly the stables that the " Grey
Lady " has been so constantly seen by members of the family, and also by
the two sets of tenants who have been, and are, occupying these quarters.
The latter now always keep a light burning all night, and since say they see
nothing. Since the billiard table was sold, and the place let, no sound of
balls being knocked about, as if a game were being played, has been heard.
The noise has been heard by nearly all the family. Mrs. R.'s mother,
Mrs. H., the Miss R.'s told me, also "saw "things, but this old lady is
dead.
The accounts given by the different members of the family
follow.*
(1) From Mr. J. E.
July 9th, 1895.
At , Dublin, one evening, about 1878, in the twilight I was walking
upstairs with a pair of shoes in my hand, when passing a landing on which
there was a pedestal with a bust of Wm. Shakespeare on it, I saw a tall lady
dressed in grey suddenly appear before me and stand in front of the pedestal,
which became hidden — which would prove it was not a " vapoury vision" I
saw. I was so surprised and frightened at the extreme suddenness of the
figure that I involuntarily threw my shoes at it, when the figure immediately
* These accounts were written on the "B forms" used for the Census of
Hallucinations and are therefore in the form of answers to set questions. I have
added words in square brackets to make the narratives continuous. — ED.
336 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEO., 1896.
vanished, my shoes striking the pedestal and seeming to pass through the
impression. I was unnerved a good deal.
I was in the best of health at the time. About 15 years [old].
The face was not familiar [to me].
No [other persons were present].
I have since then frequently had the same impression of the same
figure — always in grey. I now anticipate a certain amount of pleasure in the
hope of seeing her, as the face was always kindly disposed.
We all call this figure the " Grey Lady," as several of us have seen her.
I had occasion to let my stabling for some months last year, and the
tenant informed me several times that there was another person in the place
besides himself — a grey lady — but she seemed always pleased to see him, but
would never speak, disappearing if spoken to.
(2) From Mr. G. E.
July 8th, 1895.
I was standing one afternoon, some years ago, at the top landing of the
house, , Dublin, when I distinctly saw a tall lady, completely dressed in
grey, walking up the top flight of stairs towards me. I was rather surprised,
but not at all frightened, as she looked quite like an ordinary mortal. She
turned to the left when she reached the top and smiling at me entered a
room through a closed door. I immediately opened the door, but found no
one there. (It was broad daylight at the time.)
I was talking to a nurse at the time. I was about 11 or 12 years old. I
was in perfect health. The impression resembled nobody I ever saw before.
When I asked [the nurse] did she see any one, she replied she saw a light
passing by towards the door.
I was sleeping in the room referred to, when one morning I saw a face
looking round the door and smiling at me. This occurred some years before
the first written impression, but I am certain it was the same face as the
lady in grey had. I have frequently heard unaccountable noises in this
room ; others have also heard them.
(3) From Miss A. E.
July 8th, 1895.
I was sitting in the front drawing-room of , Dublin, some years ago,*
one Sunday evening, about 7-30, in summer, when I saw a tall woman,
draped all in grey, standing in the archway dividing the rooms. The face
was rather indistinct. I was startled and exclaimed, "Do you see that?" to
a lady who was also in the room, (and whose house we were in) but as I
spoke, the figure disappeared.
I had been suffering from severe toothache all the evening ; otherwise
was in excellent health ; was 17 or 18 [years old]. I had never seen any one
at all resembling the figure, which looked something like a nun. One lady
was in the room, but she saw nothing.
* Miss A. R. afterwards informed us that the date was about 1879.
DEC., 1896.] Cases. 337
I never saw the " Grey Lady " before or since, but she has been seen in
our house, which is next door to the house where I saw her. A maid, who
was carrying water upstairs, one evening, let the can fall and screamed, and
when questioned as to the reason, said that " a lady all in grey " had passed
her on the staircase and frightened her, as she was a stranger.
We used to have the large front upper room in our stable fitted up as a
billiard room, and the harness room underneath was used by my brothers as
a "workshop." Having gone out to the latter one night, — as well as I
remember in the autumn of 1883, — with a younger sister and the nursery-
maid, we distinctly heard footsteps walking about the room overhead and
the unmistakable "click" of billiard balls. Being determined to find out
who was playing (having constantly heard the sound of ' ' cannoning " from
our house) we went quietly up the stairs, and saw light in the billiard room
through glass panes, which were set into the top of the door, but which
were too high up for any of us to see through ; reaching the door, we burst it
open, and nothing but darkness greeted us. There was no other exit to the
room, only the door we came in by. Needless to say we returned quicker
than we came !
All the members of my family have heard the "click" of the balls,
(myself included), but since we no longer have the billiard table, no more
sounds are heard. It was in that very room and on those stairs, that the
people who had rented our stables saw the " Grey Lady." They had never
heard of the report, as this is not a reputed haunted house, very few persons
knowing we have ever seen anything ; even my mother does not know. We
never told her, as she is naturally nervous ; but she has often heard the
billiard balls.
(4) From Miss M. E.
July 18th, 1895.
My sister has explained how and where our billiard room was situated.
One evening, — I think about September, 1883, — my sister A. , a nursery-maid,
and myself were in the "workshop ; " while there we heard footsteps- over-
head of people walking round the table, apparently playing billiards, as we
heard the balls cannoning. On coming out of the " workshop " we saw the
billiard room was lit up, so we crept upstairs, thinking we would surprise
the players ; the door had two panes of glass on top. When we got to the
top of the stairs we saw light through them, but on opening the door the
room was in utter darkness. We thought they had put out the light, but
turned and fled into the house, and then discovered that no one had been
out there. My sister and the maid both saw and heard exactly as I did.
Very nearly the same thing occurred once again when I was quite alone.
I could not possibly say how often I have seen light in the billiard room
from our back windows, when I knew no one was out there ; and I may
safely say a day never passed during the time we had the billiard table that
the balls were not heard " clicking." I have heard it from the garden when
with two or three other people, and have gone up to find the room empty
and the table covered. Since the stable has been let, not one of us has
338 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC., 1896.
heard the sound of balls. Whether the "Grey Lady" played "dummy"
billiards or not, I am not in a position to say.
I was a small child, and was coming upstairs to my nursery, which was
on the top landing, when on the last flight of stairs and in view of the door
of the room I saw a little old countrywoman (with a frilled cap under her
bonnet and a shawl) standing in the doorway. At first I thought she was
my nurse's mother, who was in the habit of coming to see us ; but when I
came nearer, I found she was some one I had never seen before. She smiled
at me, and though I was not the least frightened, I turned and ran down-
stairs— I fancy because I was shy and did not like strangers. Afterwards I
heard no stranger had been in the house. I never saw her again, and
though many years ago, I should know the face if I ever did meet her.
One night in November, 1894, when we had all gone up to our bedrooms,
I wanted something out of the drawing-room. As all the lights were out, I
brought down a candle. When I opened the drawing-room door, I saw
" something," I really don't know what, but it was a sort of shadow leaning
over a table in the window. However, it gave me such a fright that I
dropped my candle and ran upstairs to my sister's room. She asked me
what had frightened me so much ; I then told her what I had seen. She
offered to come down with me and see what it was ; but I thought it better
to go alone, so went down again without a light, and when I was in the room
I struck a match and picked up my candle, &c. , and looked all round, but
there was nothing of any kind visible.
In reply to further enquiries, Mrs. St. George writes : —
July 16th, [1895].
I don't think any of the family knew the house was haunted when they
took it. The children must have been very young at the time. Certainly,
the tenants who took the stable where the billiard table used to be, did
not know anything about it. The stables are some distance from the
kitchen, but connected with the house by a passage and narrow stair up to
the room over the stables where the billiard table was. It is in this room,
where the present tenants sleep, that they always keep a light burning, as
they say they never see anything with a light, but always did so when they
went to the room without. The " Grey Lady " would come out, and pass
them on the stairs. . . . The Miss R.'s and their brothers have had
several experiences in other houses also. . . .
I never saw the tenants, — [there were] two sets of them, — but only
heard from several of the R.'s that each of them had constantly seen the
" Grey Lady " and heard the footsteps on the stairs . . .
ELSIE ST. GEORGE.
Miss M. R. writes further to Mrs. St. George : —
July 18th [1895].
In reply to Professor Sidgwick's letters, I have never seen the "Grey
Lady," so can tell nothing about her. I have not an idea of the date when I
saw the little old countrywoman ; it was in broad daylight. The house is
DEC., 1896.] Supplementary Library Catalogue. 339
not reputed to be haunted ; in fact, as we told you, mother has no idea we
ever saw anything, and as she is so very nervous, we never talk to her about
these things. She has often heard the "billiard balls." Our present
servants have never seen anything, nor do they know that we have, so they
could not have told the tenants of the stable. It would be quite impossible
to get any testimony from the latter. Our servants have heard the house
bells ring when there was no one in the house ; in fact, about six weeks ago,
they heard the office (at least, what used to be the office, the front room)
bell ring, and on going upstairs there was no one in the room. Anne (the
parlourmaid) went through every room in the house, for though she knew
we were all out, she thought one of the boys might have come in and wanted
something ; however, she found no one. That is the second time she has
heard the same bell ring, which is not often, as she [has been] with us over
seven years. I would not like to ask her to write her account, as if she thought
the house was haunted or anything of that kind, she might leave us, and she
is quite too invaluable to risk such a thing. Up to the second time of the
bell ringing, she had no objection to staying in the house alone, even in the
evening ; now she does not like it in the daytime, and refuses to stay quite
alone in the evening.
Of course, we all (excepting mother) know of the "Grey Lady," as
C was a small boy in the nursery when he first saw her ; in fact, we (he
and I) were both children in bed the first time. I remember him saying
to me, "Did you see that woman with a long neck and dressed in grey,
who has just looked in at us 1 " I sat up in bed, but never saw her, and she
did not come again. We told all the family about her, and to this day he
remembers her vividly.
I must say that, though I have seen and heard "things," I do not
believe in anything supernatural, and it was for fear that I should lose my
nerve that I went down alone that night to the drawing-room.
SUPPLEMENTARY LIBRARY CATALOGUE.
Additions since the last list ( JOURNAL for June, 1896).
THE EDMUND GURNEY LIBRARY.
BRAMWELL (J. MILNE, M.B.), On Imperative Ideas. Being a Discus-
sion on Dr. Hack Tuke's Paper. (Brain, 1895) London, 1896*
James Braid, Surgeon and Hypnotist. (Brain, 1896)... London, 1896*
DURAND, (J. P. DE GROS), La Philosophic Physiologique et Mddicale
Paris, 1868*
L'Ide"e et le Fait en Biologie Paris, 1896*
* Presented by the Author.
340 Journal of Society for Psychical Research. [DEC., 1896.
DURAND (J. P. DE GROS), Les Mysteres de la Suggestion (Revue de
1'Hypnotisme) Paris, 1896*
[PHILIPS (DR. J. P. ), ] Cours Thdorique et Pratique de Braidisme
ou Hypnotisme Nerveux Paris, 1860*
Influence Re"ciproque de la Pens£e, de la Sensation, et des
Mouvements Ve'getatifs Paris, 1862*
ROCHAS (ALBERT DE), L'Exteriorisatioii de la Sensibilitd Paris, 1895
BENEDICT (PROF. D. M.), Second Life. Das Seelen-Binnen (Reprint
from " Wiener Klinik " ) Vienna, 1894
BREUER & FREUD (DRS.), Studien iiber Hysterie Leipzig, 1895
BiicHNER (PROF. LUDWIG), Doppeltes Bewusstsein (Die Zukuiift, No.
30, April 27th, 1895) Berlin, 1895
KOCH (DR. J. L. A.), Von Bewusstsein in Zustanden Sogenannte
Bewusstlosigkeit Stuttgart 1877
KRAFFT-EBING (DR. R. VON), Hypnotische Experimente (2nd Edition)
Stuttgart, 1893.
LANDMANN (DR. S.), Die Mehrheit Geistiger Personlichkeiten in einem
Individuum Stuttgart, 1894
MULLER (DR. FRANZ CARL), Psychopathologie des Bewusstseins
Leipzig, 1889
REICHEL (WILLY), Der Heil-Magnetismus .Berlin, 1896*
THE GENERAL LIBRARY.
BARRETT (PROF. W. F.), Necromancy and Ancient Magic, in its
relation to Spiritualism London, 1896*
DIDIER (PROF. A.), Mesmerism and its Healing Power London, 1876
EDMONDS (JUDGE), Spiritual Tracts (1-10) New York, 1858-60
[GLANVIL Jos.], Lux Orientalis London, 1682
MAITLAND (EDWARD), Life of Anna Kingsford. 2 vols London, 1896
RUST (REV. DR.), A Discourse on Truth, with preface by J. Glanvil.
(Bound up with Lux Orientalis) London, 1682
BOUV£R Y ( J. ), Le Spiritisme et 1' Anarchic Paris, 1897*
MULLER (RUDOLF), Hypnotisches Hellsehen Leipzig, 1896*
FALCOMER (PROF. M. T.), Introduzione allo Spiritualismo Sperimen-
tale Moderno (5 Plates) Turin, 1896*
* Presented by the Author.
Society for Psychical Research,
1011 London
364 Journal
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